New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-24
inst made Of the objects and workings OF the In
famous election law which his success would
unbanpily sustain and perpetuate.
TIE 1rBARA BRIDGE CONTRACT.

| rocent official report made by Lord Cromer
, e. tho British Foreign Office throws full light
| rnop the much discussed Atbara Bridge incl
| dort II confirms In the strongest possible
manner the views expressed in these columns
nj the time of the announcement OF the con-
tract. and equally rebukes the scandaous
| charges and insnuations then put forward by
| n few American hating members OF the RAD
jcaI and Home Rule parties in Great Britain'
II u,u no remembered that these latter de-
c,orod that the contract for the bridge had been
clven 70 an American firm through gross IA
yor,tIsm and corruption, that English firms
stood ready to do the work, but the American
firm got the Job by the usual American method
Of bribing officials. Now mark how plain
tale shall set those monstrous calumnies DOWN.
lord Cromer on October 10. 1898, made n
reouisition upon the War Department repre-
sentative of the Egyptian Government In Lon
don for the bridge. and Lord Kitchener also
urged its Immediate construction. Plans were
nrepared on December 20, and report made
that no suitable bridge material was In stock
I'm England and therefore all would have tc
no made to order. Lord CrOmer observed that
"a the bridge must be built up from the bed OF
tho river the superstructure must be finished
come weeks before the floods; otherwise 1t
could not be finished this year, and the route
TO Khartoum would be interrupted at the At
bara for six months. Thereupon bids were
solicited from the four most promising English
firms and from two American firms. There
WINS no question of price, but merely OF quick
work The opinion was expressed In England
that as all shops were busy the bridge ma
teriaI could not be prepared within a year. and
the bridge could not be completed within two
wears. But an American firm offered to fur
pish the material complete in six weeks! Ac-
cordngly or January % Lord Cromer directed
the closing of the contract with the American
firm. little later director Of one Of the
leading English companies called on Lord Gro
mer at Cairo. ascertained what had been done,
and declared that neither his firm nor. he be-
levcd, any other in the United Kingdom could
have competed with the American firm M point
Of time. We have said there was no question
of price Yet It Is to be noted in passing that
the lowest English bid was s6775O while the
American contract was closed at only $4,000!
The contract was closed early in February,
work was begun on February s, and the ma
teriaI was shipped complete, In two lots, on
February % and March 10, the latter few
DAYS within the contract time. The official In
spection was most thorough and the Official
report upon It was to this effect: The char
"acter of the workmanship was very good and
was In accordance with American practice.
a.. The character Of the work was very
satisfactory"
That is the whole story. An American firm
was able to do the work Just as well as any
British firm, and to do 1t in one-eighth or the
time and at trihe more Than two-ffths OF
the cost. Such men as Lord Cromer and Lord
Kitchener preferred to have work Of supreme
importance done in six months rather than to
wait two years for 1t. And so the American
firm got the Job. It was a transaction highly
creditable to the financial shrewdness and wise
craftsmanship Of Lord Cromer and 1t forms
naragraph in the worlds industrial history OF
which Americans may properly be proud