Saturday, June 19, 2004
The undersea explorer who discovered the wreckage urged the protective pact.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- The United States signed a treaty Friday to protect the undersea wreckage of the Titanic from damage and looting, the State Department said.
The treaty, which Great Britain signed in November, still must get approval from Congress before it takes effect.
The treaty would set up regulations to control visits to the site, John Turner, assistant secretary of state, said in a telephone conference call.
It also designates the Titanic as an international maritime memorial and would set up a system to document items removed from the site and make them available to the public.
"We feel the agreement is an important step in protecting this scientific and historic treasure from harm in the future," Turner said. It also will allow the people who died to rest in peace, he said.
Impact on salvagers
The details and enforcement of the treaty will be decided by the countries. Legal visits and salvage operations may continue.
RMS Titanic Inc., the Atlanta company that won exclusive salvage rights to the ship through the federal courts, will support the treaty if it agrees with the legislation Congress works out, company president and chief executive Arnie Geller said.
Geller agreed that the wreck should be protected from looters and thrill-seekers who may damage the ship and artifacts, but he said his salvage rights should remain under the treaty.
The for-profit company maintains an extensive collection of Titanic artifacts that are rented out for museum shows.
The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank April 15, 1912, killing 1,500 people. Its wreckage is in international waters 225 miles off the coast of Newfoundland.
The treaty came at the urging of undersea explorer Robert Ballard, who found the Titanic 18 years ago. He revisited the wreck this month to chronicle the damage to the ship, caused by natural forces, visitors and salvagers.
Ballard said he hopes other countries, including France, Canada and Russia, also sign the treaty, and other historically significant wrecks get protection.
"The deep sea, given its natural conditions, has been a preserver of history," he said. "As the Titanic goes, so goes human history in the deep sea."