New-York tribune., 1900-05-13
FIGHTING OVER ARMOR.
FILIBUSTERS PREVENT A FINAL. VOTE
IN THE SENATE.
GOVERNMENT ARMOR FACTORY PROJECT
BY SENATORS SPOONER AND HALE
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TBIBUNE.1

BY SENATORS SPOONER AND HALE
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNE.l
Washington, May 12.-The Senate took half
dozen votes this afternoon on as many amend
ments to the armor plate provisions of the Naval
Appropriation bill. and then adjourned for lack
of a quorum. Mr.. Tnman and Mr.. Chandler
were beaten in all their efforts to fix price for
armor plate at lower figure than that set by
the majority of the Naval Committee although
on some divisions the margin against them
only two votes. The opposition's proposals to
limit the cost of armor to $780, $3.50 $4OO S425
and So45 were rejected by votes of "A to 20, %
to 20, 23 to 81. 30 to II and % to II. An amend
ment offered by Mr.. Pettus authorizing the con-
struction and operation of a Government armor
factory. without reference to the prices asked or
obtained by private concerns was also defeated
by "a to 30. Mr.. Chandler and Mr. Tillman took
this afternoons reverse rather unkindly. and
threatened. in spite of yesterdays agreement, to
reopen the whole armor plate discussion when
the bill is reported to the Senate from the Com
mittee of the Whole. When the committees
proposition to pay $445 ton was about to be
voted upon a flibuster organized. the quo
rum vanished and Mr.. Hale had to let the
plate section go over until Monday in it's unfin-
ished state.
The divisions on the Tillman- Chandler amend
ments were mainly on party lines
In the debate Mr.. Chandler delivered a
sational speech. charging that the Government
had been defrauded in the adoption of Harvey
lied armor and declaring that similar fraud
was proposed in the attempt to force the Gov
ernment to adopt Krupp armor. Mr.. Spooner
and Mr.. Hale made notable speeches deprecat-
ing the talk yesterday by Mr.. Lodge.
Neither Senator feared that the United States
might become involved with Germany on ac-
count of the Monroe Doctrine. Mr.. Spooner said
he had the highest authority for asserting that
relations with Germany were never more cordial.
Mr.. Hoar protested against the "wretched i'm
perialistic business and the talk that this Ma
ton had only RECENTLY become a world Power"
asserting that it had been a world Power since
the of 1872.
MR.. CHANDLER CHARGES FRAUD.
Mr. Chandler, speaking in support Of the erec-
tion of a Government armor plant, took sharp
issue with Mr. Allison, who said yesterday that
it would be four years before the Government
could get plate of armor from it's own factory
He then discussed the Harvey process of harden
ing armor and the methods pursued to secure
its adoption by the Navy Department, saying
that after the adoption of the Harveyized armor
by the Government Commander Folger resigned
and ioined the Harvey company at salary of
$1,000 with an addition OF $4,000 of stock.
He went to Europe in the interest of the COM
panv Mr. Chandler said that at the close OF
Secretary Tracy's term he became Immediately
20 1l for the H&--S1y company in defence OF
the Harvey patents.
In replv to a statement by Mr.. Chandler that
If the price of Krupp armor was forced down
the Arrnor Trust would Immediately try to ind
some other process for hardening armor that
would make it better than the Krupp armor, and
thus have a reason for asking higher price, Mr..
Hale said that one of the risks the Govern
ment had to take. He was not certain that
better armor would not be made in few years
He predicted that not plate could be had from
a Government armor plant under four years
Continuing Mr. Chandler declared:
1 believe. and 1 prepared to show, that the
Harvey patent a fraud. and that IL was
imposed upon the Patent Office and upon the
! Government by Subterfuge, If not by dishonesty
When the Government refused to pay more than
$500 a ton for Harvey arnlor the coiholheG
armor manufacturers of the world endeaVored
to obtain by subterfuge or by injustice another
armor. do not believe that the krupp arinor
which they offered us has any merit whatever,
except that 1t is hardened deeper than the Har-
veyized armor by the well known means of
hardening steel by means of carbonization.
There is no patent about it. and there is no
secret about it that is worth a dollar In any
court.
Mr.. Chandler closed with the statement that
the proposed Government armor plant could be
erected for 81 100000, and a steel plant along
side it for $500 600 and he believed the plants
ought to be constructed. He thought that Ad
miral ONeil, Chief OF the Bureau of Ordnance.
could build such plants and build them we'll
He urged the necessity of economy, and eX-
pressed the belief that few of those who were
| advocating the construction OF big Navy with
out delay and the payment of big prices for
armor plate realized how hard it was to raise
the necessary money by taxation.
! Mr. Stewart urged the construction of Gov
1 nj q q
armor manufacturers from milking" the Gov
ernment but to enable 1t to do Ats work if
it should become necessary in taking and main
tanning the countrys place as world Power
PROTEST FROM MIR. HOAR.
! Mr.. Hoar made sharp reply to Mr.. Stewart
| Il wish" he said. "to enter my protest en-
! phatically as l can that the United States has
| got TO be first class Power. world Power
! am sick of hearing Senators say that since this
! wretched imperialistic business have become
| first class Power. The United States came out
| of the War of 1912 first class Power, and she
! has been first class Power ever since-a Power
| that has kept off the whole of Europe from
North America and the West Indian islands ex
| cept as it was there before. The United States
! is not so strong as 1t year ago. because
| it has bound itself since that time to keep
| the peace in distant possessions"
| After citing some of the statements about this
| country and it's people made by the Duke of
| Wellington. Charming and other Englshmen, he
| said:
| The little country that did that thing 0he
| remarkable achievements of the War of 1870
| came out of the a first class Power. There
| has not been country since that time, great or
small that has ventured to tackle US; and there
| Is not country earth. great small, that
would not have got out of any trouble with us