Sorry Bob - you beat me to the punch while I was writing my response!
Most of the women under his charge seemed to be quite understanding when it came to Lowe's language - certainly
Rene Harris, the Comptons, Selena Cook, Nellie Walcroft,
Clear Cameron and others raised no objection, and in some cases stressed his courtesy and the way in which he tried to keep their spirits up. Cameron noted that the two young officers (
Moody and Lowe) had been cursing as they held back men and urged women into the boats, but it was she (rather than Collyer - d'oh) who spoke with admiration of how "Officer Lowe gave him [Ismay] socks before he left the Titanic…he didn’t know who he was talking to and what’s more he didn’t care. If ever there lived a John Bull it’s him." Mind you, Cameron herself called Ismay a "damn coward" in her correspondence, so Lowe's language doesn't seem to have phased her - quite the contrary, if anything.
Minahan's comments on Lowe's language inspired sarcastic newspaper editorials on her criticism ("At best he should have confined his choice of words to those that would have been appropriate in a friendly game of parlour croquet") and words of defence from women like
Rhoda Abbott who - although she had not been in the boat when Lowe had his exchanges with Minahan - thought the criticisms levelled at him for his use of language were unfair, and noting that he could not have been more courteous.
I agree that - if anything - Lowe was probably moderating his language while among the passengers. He said later on board the
Carpathia that his only regret was some of the language he had used to the ladies in his boat.
I do wonder if he used stronger language in his exchange with Ismay than he recalled at the American Inquiry - it's interesting that one paper noted that Ismay seemed "relieved" when Lowe repeated the words...raising the possibility that they were a censored version of what Lowe actually said.