New-York tribune., 1900-05-10
ARMOR PLATE CONTEST.
THE SENATE DECIDES TO FIGHT 1T OUT
WITH OPEN DOORS.
PROPOSITION FOR A GOVERNMENT ARMOR
FACTORY DISCUSSED WITHOUT ACTION.

FACTORY DISCUSSED WITHOUT ACTION.
TRy TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE.l
WASHINGTON, May 9-Finding that the mys-
terious secrets which Mr.. Tillman had insisted
on yelling in session behind closed doors were
secrets only to its own membership. the senate
to-day decided to fight out in the open the
contest over the armor plate provisions of the
Naval Appropriation bill. Most OF the afternoon
was consumed in a duel between Senator Hale
supporting the Naval Affairs Committees $
amendment for the purchase Of plate from the
manufacturers and Senator Tillman. advancing
a demand for the construction Of an lnoe-
pendent Government armor plant. No vote was
reached, and the struggle went over till to-
morrow
In the discussion Senator Hale had read a
memorsn ndum from Rear-Admiral ONeil, the
head of the Naval Ordnance Bureau. which
frankly exploded the Tlman theory that the
Senate had received in confidence at yester-
DAYS session hitherto unsupported revelations
which would change the whole art and practice
Of naval warfare According to Admiral O'Neil
the peculiar penetrative power Of the soft nosed
projectile was anything but q clap Of thunder
out of a clear sky to the average ordnance ex-
pert The memorandum is in part as follows
No armor that exists to-day regardless of its
thickness quality, can resist the power of the
modern gun at short range. Therefore the fact
that armor be readily perforated at short
range must not be considered an indication that
IL is Of inferior quality. 1t simply means that
III is overmatched by the gun. Naturally, that
which is the most difficult to perforate is the
most desirable.
All tests of arrnor, II IS said are made with
uncapped projectiles and are exceedingly severe
The memorandum adds:
1t is a well known fact that soft steel cap
attached 10 the point of arr1Or piercing pro-
jectile increases its efficiency to a marked ex
her from l. tG nd y
per cent. and all such projecties for the United
States Navy are fitted with caps. few days
ago at Indian Head 6-inch capped shell was
easily driven through Il inches Of Harveyized
armor, and the same has been done through
inches of Krupp armor.
While Mr.. Tillman explaining to the Sen
ate to-day what he desired to accomplish by the
secret session yesterday, another secret ses-
sion moved. the Senate preferring to hear
the South Carolina Senator's explanation be-
hind closed doors.
After the galleries had been cleared Mr.. Till
man reiterated substantially the statement con-
cerning the Indian Head tests of armor plate
which he made yesterday He spoke of the eff
fectiveness Of the projectile tipped with point
Of soft steel against the armor tested, and used
that fact an argument against the payment
by the Government of what he termed monop-
olistic prices for armor. He dwelt on the vulner-
ability of the best known armor-ncluding the
Krupp armor-against the projectile. He ar
raigned the Navy Department for making pub
lie yesterday the details of a test of armor with
a 6-inch gun, in which one Of the soft nosed pro-
Jectiles pierced the plate almost as 1t would
have pierced oak. declaring his belief that the
test had been made public for the effect it might
have on the Senate debate on the pending bill.
Mr. Chandler said he felt that the Navy De-
partment had not dealt frankly with the Senate
in respect to the information regarding the
tests.
Mr. Hoar discussed the subject briefly depre-
eating the evident inability OF the senate TO
keep its secrets and criticising the Navy Depart
ment for publishing Information withheld from
the Senate.
After brief discussion it was decided as the
salient facts had been published, that the armor
plate matter might well be considered in open
session.