The evening times., 1899-09-04
GUNS TESTED IN SECRET.
Secretary Root Explains Why Ex-
periments Were Private.

HertmrntS Herf FriSnIe.
Secretary Roots response to a request
that representatives OF the press be al
lowed TO be present at the important tests
of guns and explosives at the Sandy Hook
Proving Grounds was: Il am sorry but I
don't think it is possible 70 allow yeu 10 go
along. The Government. in these tests, IS
in very much the same position anyone en-
gagged in any branch Of trade is. where there
are competitors. Such a one would not
show his books to his rival and enable him
10 learn all the secrets of his trade; and Yet
if YOU were TO accompany US that Is eX-
actIy what we would be doing, for the
Government would throw open its books
and expose to all its rivals this part OF its
methods Of carrying on its business. Ger
tain tests are 10 be made that render II
necessary that il should be carried on pri-
vataIy. and be- in fact, sort OF Army fam
lily affair."
Lieut.. /. Y. Lewis. of the artillery. the
recorder Of the Beard of Ordnance and
FortifcaIions said TO newspaper man:
Secretary Root is very anxious that moth
ing definite should get into print, eiJhsr
about the experiments had Saturday or
those to be held hereafter l heartily agree
with him. and feel that no efforts 100 siren
uous can be taken 10 accomplish this end
Thera has been altogether too much pub
Iicfty in the past. Take tEorite as an IL
stance Nothing should be known OF this
expIosive. vet the press has published
columns concerning il. The direct reSnlt
of This publicity is that We are experiment
ing. not alone for ourselves, but Tor the
whole civilized world as well, and tals
nublicitv has become a serious drawback
10 the development Of our modern hlgn
sxnIosiyes The Secretary Is determined
that il shall stop, and that hereafter there
shall be no more leakage The puhliSators
Observation-Disclosures open the Government
hooks and exposing 70 all its rivals lhiS
part of its method OF carrying on us DUST
ness''-were not made in the press alone
The fact is that the too great publicity
in the past and the ''leakages We're
/ largely effected in Government official re-
| morris where, from year TO year, minute
/ details were given OF tests and important
/ experiments and for every column pup
tIsbed in the newspapers there were PROB
/ ABLY hundreds of pages OF pub docs
| containing detailed accounts and accurate
/ illustrations. showing minutely the prog
/ ress of experiments with guns anu eA-
plosives and the plans and works on iortl-
fcations and harbor defences- After the
outbreak OF war. last year, for instance.
! .hara aDpeared in the Congressional
Record a complete list Of the coast rortl-
dcations of the United States, with nun
details which could not have been 1ur-
/ nished by anyone, except undsf au
thority of the War Department
The recorder of the board sald turther
that already too many attaches OF lcr-
ejgn countries are altogether too we'll IN
formed as 10 what We are doing None
of them were present today Foreign news
papers also are getting a deal TOO niue mucn 4
ir,forrnatiou as 10 our doings in this line
one way TO avoid exposing to rivals thls
mart of the departments method Oh ear :
rving on its business IS to use the % pig
pencil on Government pup dets,, ny, ~
Po,,Id ar least limit TO some extent the
faciIifv with which attaches of foreign
countries become informed as to what
we are doing.'' and foreign newspapers
also would get deal less Information as
70 the Governments dOings in this hne-