Conversation:

I'm sure this is the work of the sub-editors, Colonel, but William Howard Taft was still in office at the time the RMS Titanic's sinking. Woodrow Wilson would not become President until early 1913.

Also, is it part of the British English way to de-capitalize the title President before the individual's name? A swipe at the former upstart colony, perhaps?

The "former" bit was entirely mine. You may use whatever form of exile/excommunication you feel necessary for this apparent oversight. As for capitalization... that's what editors are for.

I did not capitalize "president" because when you do that, it becomes part of his name. He was a former president, not a former William Taft. That didn't happen until a few years later.

Noooo, it does not become "part of his name". It was his official title at the time of the sinking. President Taft, not president Taft. Plus, anyone with a brain in their heads would know that the American President in office at the time of the Titanic disaster would have to be a "former" when your article was written.

Again, Colonel, he was not a former president at that time. Don't fret, there will not be an excommunication on my part (unless that's what YOU want...). Nor will there be any smiley faces placed at the end of this reply to denote sarcasm or any other emotion.

Call me a petty or a hairsplitter, but I hate factual errors.

Whoops! Don't type it, I know..."a petty what?" Nitpicker correct thyself!

I DO have an icon for you. There!

Hah! You can't even keep your grammar correct in a simple 50 word post, yet you expect perfection from me in this short novel!

I do understand what you mean about factual errors, though. I ended up spending some time raising hell over a few facts in this article that were right when they were written, but came back wrong from the editor's desk. Those items were rather important, and could not be left alone. Yours is rather tangential, especially since Archibald Butt didn't manage to figure prominently anywhere else in the story, nor President Taft. But you're right, it should be fixed.