The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-12
GUNS ARE TESTED IN SECRET
For Reasons of State Experiments Ar
KRiAf

For Reasons of State Experiments Are
Kept II Secret.
From the Washington Times.
Secretary Roots response to a re-
quest that representatives of the press
be allowed to be present at the import
ant tests of guns and explosives at the
Sandy Hook proving grounds was: II
am sorry, but I don't think it is posi-
BILE to allow you to go along. The gov
eminent, in these tests, is in very much
the same position anyone engaged in
any branch of trade is, where there are
competitors. Such a one would not show
his books to his rival and enable him to
learn all the secrets of his trade, and
yet If you We're to accompany US that is
exactly what we would be doing, for
the government would throw open it's
books and expose to all it's rivals this
part of it's methods of carrying on its
business. Certain tests are to be made
that render it necessary that it should
be carried on privately and be, in fact,
sort of army family affair"
Lieutenant !. N. Lewis of the artil-
lery, the recorder of the board of ord
nance and fortifcations, said to a news
paper man: Secretary Root is very
anxious that nothing definite should get
into print, either about the experiments
had Saturday or those to be held here
after. | heartily agree with him and
feel that no efforts too strenuous can
be taken to accomplish this end. There
has been altogether too much publicity
in the past. Take thorite as an instance.
Nothing should, be known of this ex-
plosive, yet the press has published col
umns concerning it. The direct result
of this publicity is that we are expert
menting, not alone for ourselves, but
for the whole civilized world as we'll,
and this publicity has become a. serious
drawback to the development of our
modern high explosives. The secretary
Is determined that it shall stop and that
hereafter there shall be no more leak
age. The publications heretofore
throwing open the government books
and exposing to all it's rivals this part
of its method of carrying on it's bust
ness-Were not made in the press alone.
The fact is that the too great publicity
in the past and the .leakages' We're
reports, where, from year to year, min
ute details We're given of tests and inn
portant experiments, and for every col
umn published in the newspapers there
We're probably hundreds of pages of
pub. docs.,' containing detailed ac-
counts and accurate illustrations, show
ing infinitely the progress of expert
ments with guns and explosives and the
plans and works on the Notifications
and harbor defenses. After the out
break OF war last year, for instance,
there appeared in the Congressional
Record complete list of the coast for
titications of the United States. with
full details, which could not have been
furnished by anyone except under au-
thority of the war department"
The recorder of the board said further
that already too many attaches Of for
eign countries are altogether too we'll
Informed as to what we are doing. None
of them was present to-day. Foreign
newspapers also are getting a deal too
much information as to our doings in
this line"
One way to avoid exposing to rivals
this part of it's business is to use the
blue pencil" on government pub
docs.," which would at least limit to
some extent the facility with which
attaches Of foreign countries become
informed as to what we are doing
and foreign newspapers also would get
a deal less information as to the gov
ernment's doings in this line.