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LAXITY IN LINER
BEFORE FIRE
Suspicious Features
Australian Associated Press and Herald Special Service.
NEW YORK, Tuesday. — Official insistence that the dis
astrous fire, which yesterday swept the giant liner
Norniandie (83,423 tons) was not due to sabotage (see 1
Page 1 ) , is opposed to the evidence of an astonishing '
lack ot precautions, considering the snip s grcar im
portance, size and speed.
Today four sailors, who had
been tumbled from their bunks
when the ship's loud-speaker
system blared the warning, told of
having seen little lires start tm-
aeeouulnblv as they fought their
way Lhrough the smoke.
"It was Just as though someone
had gone around pouring gasoline.
011 a place mid then setUiig 11
mulch to ill"
Signiffcant, tuu, Is the fart
(hill tin- man wliusp acetylene
lurch aMegedly lunched olf the
lire, lias mil ycl lireti located.
Today the great vessel, which
was being lilted out as a troop
ship, is listing precariously, but
hopes are .sill) entertained that
she will not capsize.
The whole ol the superstructure
was . burnt nut by the £ 1 .rili'i.UOO
lire, but the engines are not dam
aged. Marine engineers believe
Ilia l the Norinaiulie may be sal
vaged and repaired -"but will not
be seaworlhy for many months."
About 300 persons were Injured
(Including one death later).
FRENCHMEN WEEP
French officers and sailors who
formerly maimed the Normandic
wept openly. They were confound
ed that the Normnndle's mngnlff-
cenl. tlre-Ilghtlng and Ilrc-dctcct-
ing apparatus was not. fully used.
They claimed that If they had
been aboard the lire would never
have got out of control.
ontcals now explain that the
automatic bulkhead lire protection
system did not operate sufficiently
because of scaffolding rigged
lliroiighouf the vessel.
Although the sabotage theory
has been officially discounted, It
Is revealed that about 20 per cent,
of 1 lie 2200 workmen 011 the ship
were aliens, and that. 31) steel fire-
doors were not, working, thus al
lowing the tire lo sweep through
III-,' vessel without check.
REPORTER'S STORY IGNORED
Newspapers differing completely
in outkiuk publish long accounts
of t he luoseness of control over
the workmen, many of whom were
lureigiiers known to be strongly
untl-Urili.xh in outlook.
A reporter of the newspaper
P.M. about six weeks ago posed
us a longshoreman und was able
lo get aboard the Normantlle
without any difficulty, wander
wherever he pleased and carry
matches und cigarettes without
question. Anvouc, he declares,
could liuve carried petrol In a
pocket, husk.
P.M. explained lliat the re
porter's story was not published
earlier as it. was feared If would be
a gift lo Axis agents. When P.M.
secretly tried to Interest un of
ficer of the Anti-Sabotage Divi
sion of the Maritime Commission
in the reporter's story the official
said :
"You bail belter gel your re
porter out of there before lie
gels shot!"
The official udded that he did
not think the reporter's Informa
tion was accurate and that there
was no point in continuing Hie
conversation.
Ralph Ingersoll, editor of P.M..
demands the trial of everyone
1 connected with the Normandic,
from the admiral in charge of the
Naval District to the officer under
I whose orders men were worktiv
1 with torches.
"As a result or some man's fall-
lire to take proper precautions '.vc
lost the striking power of an Ex
peditionary Force before it sailed."
P.M. declares. "That man must
pay the penally so that other
Americans shall not die as a re
sult. of others' negligence."
The conservative New York
Sun declares that It would be less
humiliating if llie Norinandle dis
aster were caused by sabotage In
stead of carelessness, which re
flects 110 credit 011 anyone.
$