The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-10-09 00:00:00

ORDNANCE OFFICIALS ON THEIR
DEFENCE.

General Alderson R.A., Director of Artillery and
Stores, presided at the annual dinner of the Royal
Arsenal Foremen's Association on Saturday night at
the Holborn Restaurant, and there were present many
other officers of the Ordnance Department, including
Coloncl Maitland, ILA., Superintendent of the Rossi
Gun Factories ;Colonel Barlow, R. A.., Superintendent
of the Royal Laboratory; Sir Frederick Abel, chemist
to the War Department; and Mr. Englebach, C. 8.,
Secretary of the Ordnance Branch.
General Alderson said: Since we last met the Ord-
nance Department has been severely criticised, and
we have been the subjects of grave charges. We are
told that the present condition of our guns is deplor-
able, and that this is due to "initial conspiracy and
corrupt favouritism." That our guns are in a de.plor-
a'Ae condition I enphatically deny, and I am per-
fectly prepared to prove what I say before the Royal
Commission. (Cheers.) As to conspiracy and cor-
ruption, the opinion of the law officers of the Crown is
entirely in harmony with the judgment of the Secre-
tary of State, after careful consideration of the con-
fidential communication.; made to him. The second
charge is "jamming of cartridges, due to malversa-
don." It is true that cartridges have jammed, but
the introduction of that cartridge—the Martini-
Henry—was due entirely to a special and independent
Committee, without any reference to the depart-
ment, and after a full and exhaustive trial. Thirdly,
we are told that we have "collapsible bayo-
nets," "corruptly passed into the service." I have
made careful inquiry into everything connected with
the subject, and I have entirely failed to find any
foundation whatever for the charge. (Cheers.) The
fourth statement is that we have bad swords, these
also passed corruptly into the service. That stsry
is a long one; but I am perfectly prepared to enter
into it when the time comes, for I have all the facts
and papers before me, but all I need say now is that
the case of the bayonets is the ease of the swords
also. On all points I say with confidence, and with a
full knowledge of my responsibilities, that a Royal
commission cannot fail to elicit a complete and em-
phatic refutation of the charges made against us under
the head of corruption. (Cheers.) On the other part
of the indictment—our alleged incompetence—l should
say little, for it is a matter in which we are to be
judged, we and our predecessors, for all the
shortcomings of our guns and material of war.
I admit that certain failures have occurred, but
I maintain that they have been for the most part
incidental to the advances which are continually being
made, and which, in the case of guns especially, have
involved radical changes both in material and con-
struction. In this respect England does not stand
alone. (Hear, hear.) Similar difficulties, and at
least to the same extent, are encountered by other
nations. While I do not deprecate fair and honest
public criticism, which cannot fail to be of the utmost
value, recent discussions, both in and out of Parlia-
ment, have, in my opinion, shown how small a sub-
stratum of fact and incorrect version of detail can he
magnified into the most sweeping and grave indict-
ments against those who are entrusted by the Govern-
ment of this country with such important establish-
ments as the manufacturing department of the army.
(Cheers.) As I have never been employed in those
departments, but have, on the contrary, been for many
years criticising their productions, I may bear un-
biassed and impartial testimony to the excellence of
their work. It is alleged that the superintendents
and managers and foremen and workmen of such
places as the Royal Arsenal kesp in a close ring, out-
side of which they never go for enlightenment or ex-
perience, evolving everything from their own inner
consciousness. (Laughter.) You know better. There
is not much happens anywhere, at home or abroad,
in the way of science or manufacture which is not
well known and studied here, and some of the prac-
tical men who have been sent to see foreign arsenals
have brought home intelligent and valuable experi-
ence. In fact we do, and have done, all that men
can do to keep well in the front with the great
work entrusted to us; and if we are not in advance,
we are at least abreast of other nations. The
honest truth is that we have done our best for the
country whose servants we are; and we may rest
quite sure that the Royal Commission will com-
pletely exonerate us from all aspersions, and show that
neither the Royal Arsenal nor any other section
of the Ordnance Department has failed in its duty to
the nation. (Cheers.) Speaking of the Committee
now sitting on the subject of the organisation and
administration of the manufacturing departments,
General Anderson further said there were many
changes desirable, And that, although one of them
might be the abolition of the Directory of Artillery,
he had every hope in Lord Morley and his colleagues.
He trusted that the War Department might be
relieved of the task of providing stores for the
.Navy,
and that the financial difficulties which were m the
way of a separate naval control would be overcome.
He did not think that there need be dual establish-
ments or dual arrangements of any kind. He should
like to see more consolidation and .unification in all
the branches of manufacture, and he was satisfied
that whatever happened would tend to the greater
prosperity, efficiency, and usefulness of the Royal
Arsenal.
Colonel Maitland, in responding for the heads of
Departments, said that in the attacks to which they,
bad been subjected every trivial defect and every acci-
dent, however unavoidable, had been magnified and
distorted, and when there were no defects and acci-
dents they had been invented (laughter). He was
confident that when the unerring hand of time should
lift away the cloud of misrepresentation which con-
cealed the sources of these dastardly attacks, the,
great journals would make full amends for the in-
justice done to the departments, and the injury in-
flicted upon the prestige of the nation and its defences.
There were some honourable exceptions, like The
is3tandarcl , which had held aloof from these libels, but
there were other papers so deliberately prejudiced
and unfair that he could not even mention them
(applause).
Sir Fredetick Abel protested against the baseless
accusations which affected the character for probity
and skill of the 150 foremen there present, who repre-
sented the engineering talent of the country, and defied
:he charge of incompetence as much as they would
icorn the charge of corruption. (Appla.use.)
Mr. Oram, principal clerk of the Royal Laboratory,
Mr. Butter, manager of the Royal Carriage Depart-
ment, and Mr. Englebach, of the War Office, having
spoken, a vote of thanks to General Alderson con-
cluded the proceedings.