Concern felt for relations of victims
The BBC is planning to give its vast public a night of horror which, in gruesome realism, is likely to surpass anything given before.
The programme depicting the sinking of the Titanic, which crashed into an iceberg in mid-Atlantic on April 14, 1912, has been devised by Mr Filson Young the advisor on programmes.
Of the 2,201 passengers [sic] in the Titanic only 711 were saved. Of those who met their death within a few moments 52 of children and 99 were women.
Although this ghastly chapter in British sea history took place 20 years ago, many of the relatives of those who perished are still alive.
Mr WT Stead the famous journalist, lost his life in the Titanic.
Must Not Listern
"I certainly would not let my mother listen in," Miss Estelle Stead, his daughter, told the daily Herald representative yesterday.
Miss Stead pointed out that the broadcast of such a program might be a shock to anyone who, having lost someone in the disaster, turned on the item without warning.
Miss Elsie Phillips, sister of Jack Phillips, the chief wireless operator of the titanic, who lives at Farncombe, Surrey, said, "I think it is a horrible idea to have such a painful memories revived.
"We shall have a sufficiently sad memories on April 15, the 20th anniversary of the founding of the titanic."
Mr Phillips went down with his ship. An official of the BBC told the daily Herald that it had not been definitely decided to give this programme.
"We shall consider every point of view," he said.
"Friday morning," [broadcast 4 February 1932] one of the BBC's most recent studies in terror, described the sensations of passengers crossing the channel by air, and whose machine made a forced landing.
Condemned by Doctors
It was pointed out by Imperial Airways at the time that the broadcast of such a play would not be likely to encourage air travel.
"The effect on an emotional mind of a broadcast of the "Titanic" disaster is likely to be bad," a West-end specialist told the Daily Herald "to anyone who is at all neurotic definite damage is likely to be caused."
Dr Hector Munro, the neurologist, said: "how such fare can be described as entertainment I don't know."
Another doctor spoke of the dangers of shock.
"There were many horrible incidents in the Titanic disaster," he said. "Some of the foreign crew ran amok.
If the revolver shots and the shrieks of the terrified and the pitiful cries of the drowning are to be reproduced, I say it is a form of cruelty to put such a program before countless listeners who may have had no warning.
"it is absolutely unnecessary, and it should not be done."
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