The age-herald., 1897-08-10
THE OPPORTUNITY
 IS NOW AT HAND Let Birmingham Not Throw It to One
 Side. THE STEEL ARM0R PLAN I Is Now in the Hands of a Special Naval
 Board, WHO WILL MAKE AN INVESTIGATION Of the Localities Offering Inducements, Among These Birmingham Being Mentioned. Board May Come to This City
 to Investigate. 
THE STEEL ARMOR PLAN I
WHO WILL MAKE AN INVESTIGATION

to Investigate.
 Washington. Aug. 9.-The special na- val board appointed by Acting Secretary Roosevelt for the purpose of preparing for the information of congress estimates as tothe cost of establishing and operat- ing government plant for the manu- fracture of armor plate met at the navy department today. All the members w=re present. Before proceeding with the work of orga nization the members of the board called on Acting Secretary Roosevelt and had a long talk with him respecting the undertaking before them. Th= acting secretary expressed his views as to the intention of congress and the board was ready for work after pro gramme had been secured.
 The plan is to- make thorough inves-. tigation of the question in all it's aspects. not only with ths view of the ascertain ment of the cost of building govern ment factory. but after that had been accomplished propositions are invited for the sale of complete plant to the gov ernment. While this last connection was not specifically decided to be furnished sirable to supply it in order to permit of a consideration of the economic ad- vantages of each plan
 To properly investigate the first branch of the subject it will be necessa- ry for the board to travel a good deal. probably to Europe before the inquiry Is finished, but that has not been deter mined upon Certainly it will be neces-, sary for it to visit many places in this country, where it has been suggested that government plant may be ad- vantageously established, so as to as-- certain at first hand their relative mer- its and to learn which of them presents the necessary conditions. These. as laid down for the guidance of the board, are accessibility to iron and coal. roads of transportation, so that the heavy armor products may be readily laid down al the water where naval vessels are built
 Next weight must be given to the character of the population from an in- dustrial point of view and its ability to furnish a large stock of skilled me- chancs for the government to draw upon in manning it plant
 So far there has been no lack of sug- gestions to the navy department from people who would like to locate hhe plant. They have come, according to Acting Secretary Roosevelt, from Marion Ind, from Birmingham, Ala, Pennsylva nia, Maryland and Indeed from almost every part of the country where there is iron and coal. One recommendation for site in New Jersey came from woman.
 According to MT. Roosevelt some of the places mentioned had only the scenery to recommend them Inasmuch as the shipbuilders have failed to respond fa- vorably to the governments invitation to submit bids within the $500 mark for supplying armor for the ships now build- ing, MT. Roosevelt called the especial at- tention of the board to this aspect of the subject. and one of it's first duties will bs tleshps. Illinois, Alabama and Wiscon- sin, within reasonable period of time. Acting Secretary Roosevelt has accept ed the offer of cramp to furnish the di- agohai armor for the Alabama. and this insures the vessel against delay in con struction. Regret is expressed that the contractors who are building the two oth- CT vessels have not as yet made similar proposition as to their ships, but if some