The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-09-01
TO KEEP ARMY TESTS SECRET
TOO MUCH HPUBEICIrY GIVEN TIL EN-
HERETOFORE.
Press from Sandy Hook Proving
GrOunds-FOreisfl Military Attaches
Too Well Informed of What Has Been
Done
DOile.l

| Done
New York, Aug. 31.-secretary of
! War Elihu Root visited the proving
grounds at Fort Hancock Sandy Hook,
to-day and there witnessed a number
of tests of high explosives, rapid fire
guns, disappearing carriages and the
like. He was received with a salute Of
seventeen guns when he arrived. With
the secretary was the board of ordnance
and fortifieations, consisting of Major
General Nelson A. Miles, president
Colonel Royal T. Frank of the artillery,
Captain Tulm of the engineer corps,
Captain C. B. Wheeler Of the ordnance
corps, Judge Joseph H. Cultivate Of
Ohio, civil member of the board, and
Lieutenant l. N. Lewis of the artillery
recorder of the board. Major Butler,
the chief of ordnance Of the depart
ment of the east, was also in the party.
The secretary of war refused to allow
representatives of the press to be pres
ent, saying in the way of explanations:
THE government in these tests is in
very much the same position as any
one engaged in any branch of trade is,
where there are competitors. Such
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 this is exactly what
we would be doing, for the government
would throw open it's books and ex
pose to all its rivals this part of its
method of carrying on it's business. My
visit to the proving ground is solely for
the purpose of familiarizing myself
with the various sections of my de-
partment. / intend making thorough
inspection of the guns their emplace-
ments, the fortifications and other mat
ters of interest, but it is largely that
i should increase my knowledge of such
things. These tests that are to be made
should be carried on privately, and be-
in fact, a sort of army family affair"
On the return of the party to this city
neither the secretary nor General Miles
would say anything concerning to-days
experiments. Lieutenant Lewis, the re-
corder of the board, said Secretary
Root Is very anxious that nothing def
mite should get into print, either about
the experiments had to-day or those to
be had hereafter and | heartily agree
with him. There has been altogether
too much publicity in the past Take
thorite as an instance. Nothing should
be known of this explosive and yet the
press have published columns concern
ing it. The direct result of this pub
licity is that we are experimenting not
alone for ourselves, but for the whole
civilized world as we'll, and this public
ity has become serious drawback to
the development of our modern high
explosives. The secretary is determine
cd that hereafter there shall be no more
leakage,
"A series of general tests were held at
the Sandy Hook proving grounds to-
day before the secretary of war with
thorite and the 1sham shell, which is a
system Of throwing high explosives.
The secretary also witnessed shots fired
from six, eight and ten-inch guns
on the service disappearing
gun carriages. Armor piercing projec-
tiles were experimental with, and va
'ious armor was thoroughly tested. |
Some experiments of guns and expo-
;ives for use in the Philippines were
-ried. Thorite was also tested satisfac-
orly. There We're no tests of the Sims
Dudley gun. Already too many attaches
If foreign countries are too we'll inform
ID as to what we are doing. None of |
hem was present to-day. Foreign |
newspapers also are getting a deal too |
much information of our dongs in this |
ine'