New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-24
~ HONEST 1RMOH REPORT.

The House Committee on Naval Affairs under
the leadership Of Chairman Cummings has IN
yestigaiel the armor frauds with honesty oil
purpose and thOrOughncss Of method. Govern
mcut inspectors the Carnegie officials ana IN
formers and workmcn hav" been closely qUs-
Toned. and 10 branch of the inquiry has been
neglected. The committee has been IN earnest,
and has shown n determination 10 reach the bot
tom az the scandal The result Of the inv"stiga-
tion is n report for which the committee Is To
he heartily commended, discredtable ~ the
conclusions may be TO the contractors ana 10 the
naval experts The work Of the House commit
fee offers n marked contrast 10 the imbece and
nusillanimous inaction OF the Senate Sugar IN
vcstigators.
The preliminary report fully sustains the
charges OF fraud which have been made by The
Tribune and other journals, and apportlons the
responsibility between Government; officials and
the contractors 1t does not charge the inspect
ors with dishonesty or c0llusion with fraud. but
II arraigns them for incompetence and igIio'
rance. From this general conclusion we are
not disposed 10 dissent We have not believed
that they deliberately betrayed their trust. amaz
Ing as was the facility with which they were
imposed upon by fake reports and systematic
and training for the work undertaken by them
II ought 70 be possible. and we believe that ii is
entirely practicable, for the Government TO com
mand the services OF naval experts who are
competent TO do the work Of experts; but the
appointments must be made with palnsakng
care and solely with reference to practical skill
and scientific training Line officers ought not
to have the preference. since there are other
~ no nnynl seryice which have
ccIyed superior technical education for this kind
Of work.
The Carnegie Company is heavily scored by
the committee, and, we are constrained to add
condemned with entire justice. No summary
OF the report can deal adequately with the ex
haustive and detailed account Of the systematic
imposture practlscd at the works The con-
tractors are charged with fragrant and DELHI
crate neglect to comply with the requirements
Of the specifications; with varying treatment Of
plates instead Of making II uniform; with de
liberatey classifying reports and misleading the
inspectors; with retrcatng specimens so as to
Increase artfcially the tensile strength; with
manipulating the testing machines and plugging
bowholes; with secretly using the Inspectors
stamp, obtained either by theft or by duplica
ton, and with every manner Of dupclty and
fraud in inducing the acceptance Of plates and
bolts which would have been rejected II the
methods Of treatment and impOsturc had been
known. The report not only dlscrcdlts the bust
ness methods employed at the works and COM
promises the reputation Of the contractors, but 1t
also throws suspicion upon the defensive quail
tiles Of the armor used In the new ships, and
tends to prove that even when the material Is
perfect the plates are held together by bolts
which would break under the shock OF pro-
jectes or ramming.
There Is one branch Of the investigation which
lay outside the range Of the committees inelli-
gent scrutiny. That Is the action Of the Clcve
land Administration In compromising abruptly
with the contractors when the Navy Depart.