The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-11-26
Tur FRrNcH Gun SCANDAL"

Some days ago the Assoclated Press
disnatches contained the Information that
Capt. Isaac y. Lewis, secretary Of the
Board Of Ordnance. had reported 20 HE
superiors that ho had obtained through
friends e. Europe the plans 81
new French non-reoolung neid
sun and requested that he 80
allowed goo with which TO build
gun % the same pattern Tor the
United States. agreeing that oil Of his
Information should become the properly
Of the United States government lmme-
dately upon this publication there came
from various quarters charges OF betrayal
% confidence. ana almost Of treason. and
il wa said that France was extremely
annoyed b. the disclosures. References 90
the Dreyfus casa were made. and army
circles in Washington ana Paris were
worked up mo AT interesting ferment
From the best Information obtaina Die
10 appears that the trouble. OF rather inc
agitaslon-gor there seems TO bee 10 real
trouble-arises out Of the Old quarrel be-
tween factions In the United states army
establishment CAPS Lewis is the friend
and proiege Of Gen. Miles. Il was upon
Gen. Miles order that Lewis went to Eu-
rope 10 pursue certain Investigations with
respect 20 modern ordnance. lie made 90
socres OF his purposes and intentions. lie
took letters OF Introduction from Gen.
Miles which gained him an entrance 90
the Krupp works at Essen. and put him
In touch with artillery experts IN France.
How he actually came into possession OF
the information respecting the particular
uon-rocolllng held gun 10 question Is not
10 evidence. nor does 81 appear to matter
/ a great deal since 81 is asserted that the
same gun Is used daily by the French
/ forces in China. where Il o. freely Offer
I "a FOR inspection 10 all OF the foreign on
GERS
/ Il appears however that Gen. Bufiing-
/ ton. the head Of the ordnance bureau. Is
I the inventor Of a disappearing gun cart
/ riaEe which has been used 10 a consider
I able extent Of recent years. Gen. Miles
has always been opposed 70 this car
| rage. believing it wholly unsuited 20 the
work required Of It. The success OF the
non -recoiing French carriage would Il IS
l alleged. b. death blow 10 the Bufing-
ton disappearing gun carriage
The report Of Capt. Lewis. q secret doc
ument. was made TO the Burlington board
shortly afterwards IL found its way
into the public prints Gen. Miles imme-
diately sought TO discover the person who
vas responsible tor the publication OF
Capt Lewis letter. noe only because II ap-
peared 10 be an effort to injure Capt.
Lewis. but because in his opinion 1t mar
row,y escaped treason 10 make public the
fact that che United states were In pos
session OF a French military secret Gen.
Burlington has denied his responsibility.
or that he knows anything about Il. And
thus the matter stands. II Is probable
that a Congressional investigation will b.
ordered The sum and substance Of the
whole matter meanwhile. seems. from a
disinterested viewpoint. to be grounded
In che old quarrel between Gen Niles and
certain OF the military ring at Washing
ton. II is unfortunate for the army that
there appears TO be no way OF settling
this quarrel. for the good OF the service