Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-16

lied with string attached. They were
not even to be contracted for unless the
armor could be produced for $500 a ton.
This bill recommended two more, Was
string to be attached to that? 1t would
be like voting for declaration of war and
then refusing to provide ammunition.
why buy rotten armor piate? inter-
rupted Mr.. Ridgely. why not make our
own armor?"
Rotten armor plater' CALCULATED Mr..
Cummings Indignantly. "You paid 500
ton for ii after l proved 1t was full of blow
holes. l spent three months in yonder COM
mittee room, night and day, taking testi-
mony. investigating the subject, and my re-
port was unanimously Endorsed by TINS
House. But It was buried in the Senate. 1t
is time that the country should understand
that the lives of our sailors and marines are
endangered by the action of this House and
the Senate. The men who fought with
Dewey are entitled to the best protection
that can be given, especially as they are no
longer to obtain prize money"
why not make our own armor plate!
persisted Mr. Ridgely.
objection to n Factory.
1.-The same old story" replied Mr.. Cum
mfngs authorize ships and then instead
of building them go to work to build an
armor plate factory. That would delay the
ships from five to eight years.
But you said the armor We bought was
rotten
Mot the Krupp armor. The Krupp armor
has seven treatments, and Is tested by our
own experts. If our experts do their duty
We will have done our duty by the men be-
hind the guns
Continuing Mr.. Cummings raised burst
of applause by stating that he believed IN
keeping the army and navy in the Phinp-
pines as long as a single rebel defled the
authority of the United States.
Treating FiIipinos Like Cubans.
But when we have conquered them he
added, II am in favor of treating them as
we propose to treat Cuba. On the whole. L
think the Filipinos were more gallant than
the Cubans and certainly deserve as fair
treatment
Mr.. Cummings announced his personal be-
lief in sheathed ships, although he was
ready to stand by the action of the COM
mittee. The committee, he said. had taken
the word of Dewey regarding battle ships
and gunboats but II had refused to take
Dewey's word regarding sheathtng ships.
Dewey had said that sheathed ships could
go two years without docking, unsheathed
ships but nine months. He had attributed
the loss of the Charleston to the fact that
she was not sheathed.
Speaking of the building of ships In gov
eminent yards, he said If ships as good as
the Oregon Massachusetts or INDIANA
could be built at government yards under
the eight-hour rate he would favor building
| them there, even If they were TO cost soVo'
| 900 more each.
| Later on Mr. Cummings. reverting to the
question of armor plate, made TINS state
ment: at was demonstrated upon the
committee in way that cannot be reveal
| ed here that in paying S545 for krupp
armor we are paying less than any ma
| ton in Europe or Asia. England is paying
1857 for the same armor, Russia SOTO.
| France SGO5 and Japan 500. Until the
ships already authorized are supplied l
am in favor of buying Krupp armor at
S-4J. When we are even up L will be will
| ing to talk about an armor-plate factory.