The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-14
LIGHT ON ARMOR-PLHTE JOBS
GOVERNMENT SAID TO BE. ROBBED
BY FHE BIG CONTAGIOUS.
Battle Ships Protected by Sponge
Steel Which First Japanese Cam
non Ball Would Pierce.

lively debate in the Senate to-day Late
in the day an amendment to the deficiency
appropriation bill was agreed to- restrict
ing the price of armor plate to $500 per ton,
or $l25 less than the amendment reported
by the committee and recommended by the
Navy Department as the minimum rate ac-
ceptable to the armor contractors. Another
amendment inserted in the bill directs the
secretary of the navy to investigate as to
the establishment of a government armor
factory and to report to. the next session
Of Congress. During the debate Mr.. Hale
urged that the failure to equip the battle
ships with armor would humiliate the
United States in the eyes of the world and
would lesson our naval power al time of
possible foreign complication.
After inserting the armor amendments,
the deficiency appropriation BILL the last
OF the great supply measures, was passed.
The bill formerly provided a total appro-
priation of 49, 4l0, 725 for armor for the three
battle ships authorized in 1885, and limited
the cost per ton to $425. Mr.. Butler IN. CO.
offered tO-day's amendment, which reduces
the total to 81, 4O7 500, limiting the cost to
$500 per ton, and providing for the estab-
lishment of a government armor factory if
private concerns do not bid within $3.50 per
ton. Mr. Pettgrew (South Dakota asserted
that to yield to the demands of the armor
plate trust was a procedure too disgrace
full to be tolerated Mr. Butler spoke along
the same line, criticising the armor fac
tories and asserting that defective armor
plate had been palmed off on the govern
ment and was now in use on our war yes
sells. In this last statement he was sup
ported by Mr.. Tillman. When Mr.. Butler
reiterated the statement as to the extent
OF the defective armor in use Mr.. Hale in
terrupted with a sweeping denial. He said
that such Il condition would be appalling
ii it existed in reality, but there. was no
warrant for the assertions by the North
Carolina senator He utterly ana abso-
arIaor plate on our war SHIPS was un-
serViceable.
SORT OF HIGH TREASON.
Mr.. Butler declared that he knew of no
more dangerous kind of high treason than
the equipping OF war vessels with de-
fective plates. One of those vessels. the
Oregon, with spongy. imperfect, fraudulent
plates it was said, had been ordered to the
Hawaiian islands at a time when Japan
was threatening to take possession of those
islands. 1t would be fortunate if the first
hostile shot fired at her did not hit one of
those defective plates-if indeed there were
any good ones on her. IF we are to take
HaWail, If we are to go into the land
GRABBING business, then. said Mr. Butler
we must have a fleet as good and better
IMAM any other country In the world If we
a. are iauhchlhS ON that policy of aggrandize-
nlent then we must be able to compete witt
England or any other nation
Mr. Illlman pointed out alleged irregu-
LafltleS IN furnishing armor plate and re-
1erred to the fact that Secretary Herbert
had imposed a fine on the Carnegie Com
i PdaTy' winch me was RENTED by the Pres
And was it Democratic President who
RENTED the tine?" queried Mr. Allen.
eo LEASE dom leave out 'so-called in re-
ferring to that President" answered Mr..
Iiliman. amid laughter, "as it hurts NV
IeeIhgS TO hear him referred to as a Demo-
cratic President"
lie went on to say he had never sought
10 Iathom the mystery of how the presider :
had tried to override law and decencv nv
RENTING the fine. The senator reviewed
tue evidence on the cost of making armor
ana Sald that unless the Senate adOpted
some remedy such the one. now proposed
there would be absolute and shameless sur
plate factories. 40l
Mr. Hale opposed the Butler amendment
ana reterred to the building up of the new
navy and the incidental DEVELOPMENT in tbe
United states of plants capable of nrod1c0
ing everything needed for equipping the fin
est shlps afiQat. This was of vast adj
n Ns 70 the government in its naval
progress ana 1t had at the same time given
employment to many workmen 1t was hut
natural: IN the development of so great an
enterprise, that some evils. should creep in
ne said, and he had no sympathy or defence
Tor such evils. The senator discussed the
COST OF arnor, saying that the $500 rate es-
oaplisnea py the last Congress was due to
an expectation that the Illinois Steel Com
pahy stood ready to furnish armor for mich
Tess IMAM the old rates. but there had been
10 pTactlcal realization of this expectation
As 10 the establishment of a government
armor plant, Mr.. Hale said the buiIdjne 81
t Tue AheFlcan navy had proceeded too far
Toward completion to warrant starting a
government plant at this late day Com
mentlng on the offer of the Illinois Steel
Company to furnish armor under 4 con-
tract covering twenty years, Mr.. Hale said
Such proposition was totally impractica-
PIE VINO knew anything about the char
acter and armor requirements of war ships
twenty years hence? he asked
NATIONAL HUMILIATION.
In closing Mr.. Hale referred to the ma
tlonal humiliation in case of an emergency
we nave three incomplete battle ships
ready Tor their armor and useless without
IT. Ihere was something more in this cues
lloh' MT Hale said, than the mere cost of
ariior- we had a national honor, ma
tlonal dignity to maintain. and there could
De no naiting' no turning back when once
we nad embarked on an active policy of
upholdIng the national honor
MI stewart New declared that the re-
cent NJ .hre re OF Great Britain in the naval
nations must continue buildine shins or eiSe
be subjugated anips Vi else
MI: Bacon (Ga) moved to place the rate
az SSo9 per ton. lie believed the government
would nave to build its own fonndrt hnt
Tor the present he urged ii to he exnedient
10 oner $3.50 and stand by, il aiiowine~ ~ -
armament OF the ships to fail if need be
until Congress reassembles MIR PertiDe
(Cal:l urged that the three new haiti Ills i,is
would be tied to the docks 10 rns. LIPS ,
corrode unless equipped with armor a,td a an.
into service. anu put
Mr.. Teller (Colorado) contributed g -I;,,,,,.
speech. 1t had been the general imnra isSGiS
lnaI our ships represented the mower -
dignity or the Nation, but, said he onr M NJ
siHlpS had proved source of confusion 70
the last administration. The Cuban xrar
the worst conflict in hundred years win
inuruer ana outrage, had ragged AT 90
doors; ana throughout the conflict we bsd
OF our national dignity and honor The aN,o
thorities had been afraid to send a sbi
Tearing ~ might endanger our peace with
span afin. Mhy' war with Spain would be n
ttmlh5 dlLaH so far as we are concerned =
SAID Mr.. Teller. He ridiculed the idea 20
having shlps II they were not to be sent
where needed. We have had a good deal
~ nr tro 10y. oyer our ships anyway, Mr.. Tel
Ter SAID, and probably they would be as wen
on the stocks as in service III would he =
greater surrender of national dignity to
DOW DOW 20 the armor contractors than to LEI
the SHIPS stand on the stocks and the sem
ator declared he would let them stand mn
armored for all time rather than he baid
up By the 2rmor combine 0''
Mr Allen sNebraska) criticised the gen
eral poncy Of expanding the navy, comTar-
lng me cumbersome battle ships with the
sHectVe monitors. The building OF these
nuge SHIPS was scheme he asserted to
Spelo the PUBIC money and to place adj