The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-10
WANT CHEAPER ARM0R PLATE.
SENATE MAY DECIDE TO BUILD A
GOVERNMENT PLANT.

Could Not BE Procured at $500 "A
Ton n Government Plant should BE
putIt-said No wonder Carnegie
CouId nay Game Preserves and
nnronses-No Definite Action Was
Taken.
washington, May 9.-Prbctcally the
entire session of the Senate to-day was
devoted to a discussion of armor plate
the section OF the naval appropriation bill
relating to armor plate and armament
being under consideration.
The debate largely hinged on the propo-
sition thnt the government should erect
an armor pant Of its own. Senator TIL
man presented an amendment limiting the
nrice TO be paid for armor to $500 per ton,
and providing also that the government
should erect a plant of its own.
Senators TiEman, Money and Chandler.
advocated the erection Of a plant, while
Mr.. Hale supported the committee amend
ment providing for a plant in the con-
tingency that armor could not be procured
for sl45 per ton No action was taken on
the proposition, the bill going over until
tomorrow.
The naval bill was called up at the con-
elusion of routine business.
Mr. Hale, evidently referring to the pub
LEGATION of yesterdays secret session pro-
ceedings, said he left it to Mr.. Tillman
whether it were wise or desirable 20 pro-
coed with the measure in secret session.
Mr.. Tillman replied that he was per-
suaded lit would be almost impossible to
prevent the newspapers from getting the
information, although they did publish
more than occurred in the Senate and
-
Mr.. Vest Of Missouri: 81 think the SEN
ate would better go into secret session.
Mr.. Tillman: Il hope the Senator will
permit me to complete my observations"
Mr.. Vest: Il make the motion for
SECRET session. The Senator's remarks are
proving the accuracy of the newspaper re-
ports"
Mr.. Chandler seconded Mr.. Vests mo-
ton, and at 1920 p. m, the Ssnate's doors
were closed
Wanted Government Plant.
At l o'clock the Senate resumed con-
sideraton Of the bill in open session. The
pending question was upon the commit
lee amendments to the House bill with re-
spect to armor for war vessels.
Mr.. Tillman offered an amendment in
effect limiting the price 20 be paid for
be procured for that price, authorizing
the Secretary of the Navy 10 construct u
government armor plant at a cost not ex-
ceeding 100000.
Mr.. Hale, in charge of the bill ex-
planned the committee amendment He
said the committee had sought to relieve
the country from the embarrassments
that were irksome 10 almost everybody.
Right in the midst of our remarkable
advance in the construction of naval
ships" said Mr.. Hale eve were arrest
ed by this controversy over the price of
armor plate.
II believe the arrnor plants put their
heads together and put up prices of arm
or Of course, this created resentment,
and l am not surprised at the action and
feeling of the senator from South Caro-
lima (AIr. Tillman), who is acting entire
ly conscienuously in the matter"
Mr.. Hale explained that the average
price for several years paid by the gov
eminent was about $500 per ton. For the
armor of 1897 $i12 per ton was paid.
las it was seen" continued Mr. Hale,
that we had ships which needed armor,
the companies again raised their price to
S545 per ton, when last year Congress
fixed a price of $500 per ton. The navy
department could not get the armor at
that price. 1t was the opinion of the
committee that the government could get
better armor from private concerns than
It could make itself and AVOID any of the
possible attendant scandals"
Would Take Us Three Years.
At the same time, he added 1t was real
lied that something had to be done. Under
this bill if the companies declined to ac-
cept $i4o per ton a government plant for
The manufacture of armor was to be cen
structed. He believed the manufacturers
thus would accept The government / e
said, would not be able to produce a pound
of armor under three years and it might
require five years to get well started.
Meantime serious delay would occur in
the building of authorized ships.
Mr.. Hale said that as soon as armor
manufacturers got upon their feet finan-
cially, they began 10 put the knife to
us"
Mr. Tillman said the prices asked by the
manufacturers would cost the government
$l7,0c0000, while his proposed price would
cost but about $S00000O His proposl1ie n
was TO build an armor plant regardless of
manufacturers prices. He said It was no
wonder Mr.. Carnegie could go to Scotland
and buy game preserves and baronies and
that sort of thing.
Mr.. Tillman ref, rred to the recent naval
tests on the penetrabiity of armor He
was not convinced that the new process
armor was one whit better than the old
kind A nine-iuch new process plate had
been easily penetrated and who could say
that a four een-inch plate would not suf-
fer similarly.
Mr.. Hale interrupted to state that the
only significance of the recent experiments
was to show that the best projectles will
pierce anything, but that the new process
armor has an impenetrability Of Is pei
cent. greater than any other. The car
projectiles went through the nine-inch and
even the eleven-inch plates as though
they were pineboards
Mr. Hale presented a memoran dum from
Rear Admiral O'Neil. chief Of she Nava
Bureau Of Ordnance giving the --latest
available information on the subject OF
armor and particularly of the "soft-nos,
projectile." the memorandum stated il
part:
Guns Better Thnn Armor.
''No armor that exists to-day REGARDLESS,
OF its thickness or qualify can resist tn,
power Of the modern gun at short range
Therefore. the fact thar armor can read
lily be perforated ae short range must no
be considered an indication that It is o
inferior quality 1t simply means that i
IS oyeImatched by the gun Naturally
that which is the most difficult TO perfor