The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-13
AGAINST GOVERNMENT PLANT.
SENATE DEFEATS PROPOSITION TO
CONSTRUCT ONE.

Armor Plate Factory and Not to
Limit the Cost of Amor PInte to
$500 n notwithstanding stopped
Progress on the Naval ApprOpri-
nttOn Bill.
Washington. May BY a close vote
to-day the Senate rejected the proposition
to erect without reference to the price at
which the government could secure armor
plate for its warships, an armor plate
factory.
The vote upon the direct proposition was
p to "A, and subsidiary amendments were
rejected by about the sume vote.
When the committees proposition was
about TO be voted upon, a hibuster was
organized the quorum of the Senate was
broken, and the question is still in the
air.
During the debate to-day Mr.. Chandler
of New Hampshire, delivered a sensational
speech, in which he charged that the gov
eminent had been defrauded in the adop-
ton of the Harveyized armor. He de-
clared similar fraud was proposed in
the attempt to force the government to
adopt the Krupp armor.
Mr.. Spooner of Wisconsin and Mr.. Hale
of Maine made notable speeches depre-
eating the war talk yesterday by Mr..
Lodge Of Massachusetts. Neither senator
was fearful that we might become in
volved in difficulty with Germany on ac-
count of the Monroe doctrine, the latter
declaring that the United States and Ger
many were bound together by indissoluble
ties, and the former that our relations
with the German empire were never more
cordial than they are to-day.
Mr.. Hoar of Massachusetts, protested
against the "wretched imperialistic bust
ness" and the talk that this nation had
only recently become a world bower"
asserting that it had been a world power
since the War of 1912.
Harvey Patent a Fraud.
The naval appropriation bill being I'M
der consideration. Mr.. Chandler of New
Hampshire declared that after the adop-
ton of the Harveyized armor by this
government Commander Folger resigned
and Joined the Harvey Company at a sal
airy of $1,000 with an addition of 500 600
OF stock in the company. He then went
to Europe in the interests of the COM
pany.
Mr.. Chandler said that at the conclu-
sion of Secretary of the Navy Tracy's
term he became immediate counsel for
the IldINGy Company IN ueIenSe OF the
Harvey patents. Continuing, Mr.. Chand-
Ter declared:
Il believe and I am prepared to show
that the Harvey patent was a fraud, and
that IL was imposed upon the patent Of
fee and upon the government by subter-
fuge if not by dishonesty. When the
government refused to pay more than
$500 a ton for Harvey armor the combin-
ed armor manufacturers of the world en-
deavored to obtain by subterfuge or by
injustice another armor. / do not be-
lieve that the Krupp armor which they
offered us has any merit whatever, ex-
cept that It is hardened deeper than the
Harveyized armor by the well-known pro
cess of hardening steels by means of car
bonization. There is no patent about it,
and there Is no secret about it that is
worth a dollar in any court
No Threat From Germany.
Mr. Spooner of Wisconsin challenged the
statement of Mr.. Lodge, made yesterday,
that Germany was threatening the McDroa
doctrine. He said he had it on the high
est authority that there was never a time
when more cordial relations existed he
tween the United States and Germany
than to-day
In conclusion Mr.. Spooner argued that.
fnasmuch as the country is "defenseles-
and at the mercy of two arnlor compa--
mics" the United States ought 10 erect its
own armor plant without delay. The
present situation, he declared, was intol-
cradle.
In closing the debate Mr. Hale, in
charge of the bill after speaking OF TIE
governments inability to complete ships
without armor, said:
~ don't believe that a great need or ne
cessity for an increase of the navy stalks
before us because of any apprehension of
hostilities, either now or in the future
with the empire of Germany. That great
country Is tied TO Us by indissouble bonds
in the name of 100000 people Of German
extraction, who to-day make some of cur
best citizens. l have no fear that eny
danger awaits us from German interview
ton"
Then, at 3 O'Clock, by special order, de-
bate ceased, and the voting began upon
the arnor question. The amendment Of
fered by Mr.. Penrose to pay S545 for the
armor for the Maine, Ohio and Missouri,
was defeated.
Government Plant Defeated.
Mr.. Pettus of Alabama, offered an
amendment making il mandatory upon
the Secretary of the Navy, to erect an
armor plate plant at once, at cost not
to exceed 100000. The amendment was
defeated % to "a, as follows:
Yeas-Bacon, Bate. Berry. Carter,
Chandler, Coclxrell, Daniel Harris. Davis.
Jones of Arkansas, Jones of Nevada,
Mallory. Money, Morgan, Nelson, Pettus,
Spooner, Stewart, Teller, Thurston, TILL
man, Vest-22.
Nays-Ailison. Baker, Clark OF Wyom-
ing Depew, Elkins, Fairbanks, Foraker,
Foster, Frye. Hale. Hansbrough Hawley,
Hoar. Lodge Mcbride. McComas, Nc
Cumber McEnery, Penrose, Perkins, Proc
tor, Quarles. Ross. Shoup-34.
Mr.. Tllman's amendment striking out
the committees proposition to pay $4i5
per ton for armor fixing the maximum
price at 800 per ton, except for armor
for the battleships Maine Missouri and
Ohio, for which SH5 was to be paid and
making it mandatory uDon the Secretary
Of the Navy to construct an arnor plant
was def ated, % 20 "a. the vote in no res
pect differing from the vote on Mr.. Pettus'
amendment.
Mr.. Tilman then offered his amendment
three times, each time raising slightly
the limit OF cost of the armor. Each time
the amendment was defcated.
Mr. Chandler offered an amendment pre-
csely sinilar to those proposed by Mr.
Tilman. The vote on the amendment in
81 ated the Absence of a quorum the vote