Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-19
ARMOR. PLATE FRAUDS
Secretary Herbert Explains Why the Con-
tracts Were Continued
An AbrOgntiOn of Agreement With
layed Naval Construction.

The Senate committee on naval AFFAIRS
had the armor plate resolution under con-
sideration at its meeting today, and post
poned final action on 1t until the next
meeting The members of the committee
w,re today furnished printed copies of the
testimony of Secretary Herbert taken be-
fore the committee at its last meeting. In
this testimony the Secretary explains why
he did not divert the contract He said:
when the case came up before the de-
partment there were two courses open to
me; one was to abrogate the contracts
with the Carnegies entirely and refuse to
allow them to make any more armor plates,
giving all the amor to the Bethlehem
company. The objection to this course was
that the Bethlehem company lad it's hands
full at this time and was behind with its
contracts. This investigation by the de-
partment, you will remember, took place
more than a year ago. 1t would have
taken fully eighteen me nths for the Beth
lehem company 70 complete its own con-
tracts. Not only would the government
have been delayed eighteen months, but
there was nothing to compensate for the
delay. / could not get the work done any
more cheaply elsewhere. Any new COM
pany that might have bid for the work
before undertaking 1t would have to ex-
expensive m ichinery.
Two Horns of a Dilemma.
'T sent for the president Of the Bethle-
hem company and inquired of him whether,
IL could get more battle ships ordered, his
company could make armor more cheaply
than 1t was then doing, the prices paid the
two companies being the same. OF course,
did not let him know of the investigation
that was going on. His reply was that he
shown that, first, If I abrogated the con-
tract with the Carnegie company and gave
1t to the Bethlehem company this would be
to delay the delivery Of armor for which
the ships were already waiting for one or
two years, or else 1 must find some other
company to take the contract, and there
was no other company equipped to manu-
facture the armor that was needed. Under
these conditions 1 determined to let this
company go on. provided 1T should pay
damages.
Knew Plates werc Defective.
1.-THE department knew that some Of
these plates were defective. but 1t was be-
leved they would stand the ballistic test
that is the lowest test. The company was
bound to make them as much better than
this as 1t could and was liable in damages
for it's failure to do so. I thought, there
| fore, it was better to leave the plates on
the ships and simply assess damages"
Mr.. Herbert also said the inspecting OFF,
| GERS had not been as diligent as they might
have been and added: ''Since the discovery
| of these frauds they have been more vigil
| lant not only there, but elsewhere, and in
two cases since that time, other companies
have been detected in frauds. The in
spectors at the Carnegie works were i'm
posed upon for the reason that they were
not present at night. Now they inspect
| day and night
The Navy's Condition Seems Doubtful.
In the course of his testimony he said:
zone thing / wish to say, II all these plates
should be good and stand the ballistic
test then it would greatly benefit the rep
| utation Of our ships. 1t would remove the
suspicious that have been created by the
publication of the evidence. If. on the
other hand, several of them would prove
| to be more defective than the board has
| believed them to be, 1t would largely dis
| credit the navy.