Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-19
THE ARMOR PLATE FRAUDs
Attorney Wallace Has q Long Inter.
view With Secretary Herbert.

u
view With Secretary Herbert,
Naval officials are evidently much more
concerned than they pretend to be over the
reported additional frauds perpetrated on
the government in the manufacture of ar
NOR plate for the new ships. Secretary Her
bert declines to discuss the matter for pub
lication, and his example is followed bv all
other officials having cognizance of the
facts.
MI. Wallace, the Pittsburg lawyer. who
represents the six men who claim to have
PROOF OF these alleged frauds had a long
conference with Secretary Herbert and As
sistant Secretary McAdoo at the Navy De-
parsment .rs late yesterday afternoon.
Ihe services Of a stenographer were call
ed into play TO record the allegations made
py Mr- wallace on behalf Of his clients.
Mr. wallace represented, so 1t is said that
me naa possession Of evidence which satis-
neo MIN that frauds even greater than
tnose recently compromised by the depart
ment had since been systematically prac-
uceo on the government in the matter of
armor plates.
Additional Frauds Alleged.
Defective plates have been palmed off on
the government, he stated, right under the
eyes OF the inspectors, and he would pre-
sent anidavits to sustain his assertions. The
| frauds, ne asserted, affect nearly all the
prepared to show that the plates are faulty
! and far below the standard required for ac
ceptance ~ ~.
According to the best informant ton Obtain
sole on the subject, Secretary Herbert in
formed Mr.. Wallace that IL his charges were
sustained that the department would prob
ably adopt the same course pursued in the
nrst instance and would pay the informers
wnat they demanded, IL the sum was rea-
spnable. for bringing to the Secretary's at
tention the manufacture Of armor defective
and below the standard required by the
government inspectors. Secretary Herbert,
aiter the interview, declined to discuss the
probable outcome of the alleged disclosures
but intimated that he had been much i'm
pressed by the rather startling statements
made by Mr.. Wallace who he said would
be called upon again to give additional in
formation and present statements which the
Secretary has demanded. Mr. Wallace ex-
pressed himself as please, with the Secre-.
tary's attitude.
y What IL Said I'm Pittsburr
A special dispatch from Pittsburg says:
Since the armor plate stories first cropped
out stories of other Irregularities have been
anoat and IL certain things reported today
are sustained the country will be treated to
another sensation. The new feature of the
case comes from one who had every means
OF knowing. and who reports that a foreign
metal was experimental with in the man.
facture OF the plates. This metal was alumni
num- 1t was made by the Pittsburg Reduc-
tion Company. at New Kensington, and
large quantities are said to have been sold
by this company to the Carnegie Steel Com
pany. The experiments said to have
been conducted with no attempt at conceal
ment
A former employe of the Pittsburs Re-
ductior Company is authority for the state
ment tEat the experin ents made by the
Carnegie Company by introducing alum
mum In the making of armor plate were a
complete failure. He asserts that the
plates in which the aluminium was used
were sent on to be used by the govern
ment The tensile strength of aluminium is
said to have caused the company to exper-
inient with it. The object of the Carnegie
CONF any was a laudable one, as it desired
10 furnish the government with a better
plate. The experiments are said to have
been rade In the spring OF 1892. Although
the plates in which aluminium was used did
not reach the highest limit of tolerance
they are said to have exceeded the lowest
limit
The plates of nickel. steel and aluminium
would come within the limits of the fine
fixed by the government. The informal ton
about the aluminium experiments Is likely
part Of that possessed by the latest batch
of infOrrners