Senator Smith Speech - Requesting Inquiry

[Ollie Powell]

Hey all,

I'm researching the US inquiry for a project and am frantically trying to find details of the speech Senator Smith gave to the senate on 17th April. The one where he put forward his resolution for there to be a public inquiry into the sinking. I have his speech after with the findings on May 28th but can find no record of this first speech before the survivors had arrived in US.

Can anyone help? I'll be forever grateful.

Many thanks in advance.

Ollie

 

[Dave Gittins]

What you need is a copy of The Congressional Record, which details speechs and motions in Congress. I can't seem to find the relevant issue on line, but you may do better. Smith may not have made much of a speech. The New York Times of 18 April gives a lot of information about speeches made the day before and prints in full the Senate resolution that established the inquiry, but it says little about Smith.

You don't say where you live. If you are in the USA the Congressional Record will be in major libraries.

 

[Steven Christian]

Hey all,

I'm researching the US inquiry for a project and am frantically trying to find details of the speech Senator Smith gave to the senate on 17th April. The one where he put forward his resolution for there to be a public inquiry into the sinking. I have his speech after with the findings on May 28th but can find no record of this first speech before the survivors had arrived in US.

Can anyone help? I'll be forever grateful.

Many thanks in advance.

Ollie

a few links that might help you out. The second link has the resolution that Senator Smith proposed on 4-17-1912. And a link to his his 4-28-1912 speech which you probably already have.
American Titanic inquiry
S. Res. 283, Resolution to investigate the causes leading to the wreck of the White Star liner Titanic, April 17, 1912

TIP | United States Senate Inquiry | Report | Speech of Senator William Alden Smith

 

[Ollie Powell]

Thanks for this Steven! It's the speech he gave when presenting the resolution to the committe I was after. I've not seen the resolution itself before so that first link is brilliant! Thanks.

 

[Steven Christian]

Your Welcome. Senator Smith was an interesting character as far as Titanic goes. In the US he was widely regarded as a champion for the cause but in Britain he was widely regarded as a buffoon as the cartoons of the british press show. As for his speech on April 17th the closest I could come to finding without digging deeper is this article from April 18th 1912. You'll have to read thru it as I can't copy and past the single article. It sounds like it was said in the senate but I can't be totally sure. Hope this helps your quest a little more.
The Washington herald. (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, April 18, 1912, Page 12, Image 12

 

[Ollie Powell]

This is fantastic! I’ve found little snippets in other papers but usually it’s a single sentences here and there. This really helps me to understand his approach when putting the resolution before the senate. Thanks so much.

All my research has led me to believe he was an incredible political strategist and it’s a little surprising that his career seemed to end with no widely known legacy.