Show I CITY COTY Of ROME BLAMED FOR FORSEA I ISEA SEA TRAGEDY NEW LONDON LONDO Coon Conn Sept S pL 28 When UP I by The I Associated P us as he came on duty early toda today that the owners ners I or of the City of Rome had an ar- ar affidavit whIch staled that the 51 S was as commanded by student ofU- ofU cers cera Lieutenant Commander H. H A A. Flanigan executive officer at atthe atthe the submarine base here denied that anyone any one or of the tho officers on the tho submarine at the tho time ol of the disaster was Lieutenant Commander Flana- Flana Flanagan Flanagan gan In n a statement to The Tho Asso- Asso Associated elated Press PreM explained the work of the submarine school and gave o Information concerning the sIx officers aboard the S 51 at the time ol of the collision The submarino training school fOr officers Is established for the tho purpose or of giving all officers do- do tailed Instructions In submarines before they are permanently transferred to submarine dut duty The students ot of the prest nt class range from Lieutenant Corn Com Commander mander E. E W. W Strother with 21 years ears naval service to the en- en ensigns ensigns signs ot of the class or of 1923 with six years years' nl naval al service Including lour four years ears at the naval al academy MUST nE BE lIt IHn No 0 officer ma may enter the sub sub- submarine submarine marine school who ho has had less than two years ears sea service ser since I his hie graduation from the naval academy and all officers no mat mat- matter ter what their rank or mat mat-I ence must go through the sub sub- submarine marino marine school before being or- or ordered ordered dered to permanent duty on sub sub- marines In the last two ors ears captains commanders and lieu lieu- lieutenant lieutenant tenant o hao been students at the school as welt well as lieutenants lieutenant s Junior grade and ensigns Tile The term student officer may I Ve u been misleading but it should hould ue be understood thoroughly thorough that they are simply students or of i marine duties and not of their general service duties All the of officers ricers who were on tho S 61 were tully fully qualified In surface ship duties and to stand watch as officers or of the deck deel In addition three or of the tho six officers iad considerable submarine submarino ex- ex penance and the other three bad received d two months months' training In submarines When the S Si was sunk she was operating as a surface yes yes- essel sel and there Is no doubt In our minds that responsibility for the tho rests solely on the tho shoulders shoulders' ders' ders or of tile the CIty or of Rome From he reports or of her her l our ur and e tile e statements t of passengers as reported to us It Is clear that the tho CIt City or of nome either TWO CO CI CONCLUSIONS SIO S One Assumed that she was meeting a 0 small commercial yes yes- Vessel eel sel which could be robbed ot of her right ot of way bY the larger pas pas- vessel or Two That the officers on watch on the City ot of Rome In- In incompetently competently failed to recognize that the tho two vessels were ere draw draw- log InG dangerously close until It ivas as too late for tor the CIt City or of Rome to to take the proper moves to yield to the S 61 her right ht of da day due to the relative e positions or of the two vessels or took the wrong wron measures when It was seen that collision was Imminent There Thero Is no evidence to show or reason to believe that the officers cers or of the S 61 did not handlo their vessel properly as was ex- ex expected or of officers or of their train train- trainIng training Ing and experIence It Is 15 un- un doubt true that the lubberlY handling or of the City ol of Rome Romo ar- ar arter after ter the collision the tho failure or of her searchlights and tile the slowness with which her boats reached tho points where here the men from the s-Il s were In the mater was re- re responsible for the loss los or of at least throe three lives The survivors sur claim to have been In the water for lor lorone forone one hour and fifteen minutes be- be belore before lore fore they were picked up There can bo be no excuse for such delay CEH The commander or of the vessel esel was Lieutenant R. R n. n Dobson of Brooklyn who had bad served ser In the thenay Ills first tour four navy y eight years years were performed as an en- en enlisted enlisted listed man an officer In the nil al and a temporary officer lIe He was W given a i permanent corn com mission In November 1921 and had ad been at sea In submarines since January 1922 He was an experienced submarine officer and was In command or of the U. U S. S S. S 4 0 for lor ov over r a year lie served as executive officer on the 51 S and succeeded Lieutenant Banner Danner- Bannerman man to command the tho vesse I 00 |