The Portland daily press., 1900-05-10

the manufacturers proposed 20 supply
she srmor.
Mr.. Tiiimsa referred to the recent
naval tests on the penstrahiiify OF
armor. He vas mot convinced that the
new process armor was one whit better
than the old kind. A nins-ineh process
piats had been easily penetrated and who
could say thai. . l4-ipoh plate would
not suffer similarly.
Mr.. Hale interrupted to state that the
only significance Of recent experimenta
was TO show that she best projsotlies viii
pierce anything, but that the new pro-
cess has an imrsnetrAbiiity OF rs per cent
ares ter than any other. The cap pro-
jectiies went through the Eine-inoh end
even the ii-inch plates a. though they
were pine boards. MIR. Hale contendso
mat MIR. Iiliman could not urge shis
as new reason for governments factory.
Mr.. Perkins of California Joined with
Mr. Hale and MIR. Tiilnan In an anil
mated discussion OF paterDaiism In con-
nsotion with the proposal for govern
ment armor factory.
Mr.. Stewart said that the government
should not be at the mercy Of great
com pination or corror alton and IL should
free itself BY building governments
factory even II ton OF armor was never
made In it.
MIR. Money Of Mississippi, Inquired ~
to the Information asailable on the
"soft nose prci
Mr. Hale presented q memorandum
from Rear Admiral 0'Nsii. chief OF the
naval bnrsau Of ordnance, giving ths
latest available information on the
subject Of armor and particularly on
''soft nose projsotiles."
The memorandum sail In part:
"No armor that exists today. regard
less Of Its thickness or quality, osn resist
the power OF the mcdsrn gun at short
range. Therefore. the fact that armor
can be readily perforated at short range
must not be oensldsred, an Indication
that 1t Is OF Interior quality. IL simply
means that 10 is over matched by the
gun. Naturally that which 80 the most
difficult to perforats Ia the most dssira.
tie. All tests Of Armor, the mem orandum
ssatss, are made with uncappsd protec-
tiiss and are exosedingly severe. Vhs
memorandum adds:
"It IL a we'll known fact that soft
steel cap attached to the point Of IN
armer piercing pre,eot!ls increases It's
efficiency TO marked extent, anywhere
irom Is to 20 and often to s5 per cent,
and all pre- ojsctiles OF the navy are lifted
with the oaps A few days ago at Indian
BEAD, q six inch capped shell was easily
driven through IL inches OF Harveyfzsd
armor and the san,e has been done
through eight inches OF krupp srmor. "
MIR. Money said he would support tbs
proposition OF Mr. Tyllman for . govern
ment srmor plant.
Mr.. Chandler earnestly advocated the
amendment Of MIR. Tillman. He pointed
out that the proposition CT the committss
was to pay s445 Per ton for 80. 700 toni
Of armor. and, II the companies would
not agree to that, to pay SSi5 per ton for
arruor for the thres bsttleships now
awaiting armor and then prooeed to
build an arnor plant. The prcpositiou
he favored was to pay $5i5 per ton fol
armor for the bAttisships Maine, Ohit
and NJ issouri, and build an armor PLAN
| at onos.
He would venture the assertion, he
said, that the United States could build
an armor plant and anRfactnrs
armor cheaper than IL could DE- made By
the private concerns and We would moi
have to pay royalties to anybody.
IL the United States was tc build oniJ
the ships now authorized. be thought Il
might be well to aoosds to the demand
of the armor companies, but II We are
to beooaie a world power and build ships
for the next 90 years, it would be fsi
cheaper to make armor at the govern
ment's own plant. He was satisfied that
| the Governments nseded an armor PLAN
as much as 1t needed navy yards. The
navy yards were protection against ex
tortion By the combined ship building
concerns OF the country and to the SAM
extent, be believed, q governmsae armol
plant would rrotsct the governmsn
from the extortion Of the armor monopo
ly.
At the oonclasion Of MIR. Chambers "a
L mAEkus tno bAA Wob ANAAS ooAeS eN' S%'
day. A joint resolution authorizing tn
rejection of O site and the erection OF
bronze statue In Washington, In hon
or Of the late Henry Wadsworth Long
fe How. was passed.
After q i,risf executive session, tn
senate adjourned.
| IN THE HOUSE.
Washington, May 9.--Ths House toda,
considered the contested election care Q
Pearson VS.. Crawford from the mint
North Carolina district. The msjorit
report on the case 10 against tie sittin
member, q Democrat. on the clair
that Mr.. Pearson's election was prevent
ed bJ fraud, Intimidation, bribery an
bloodshed. Ths mincrity deny all tn
allegations of the majority pointing ou
that the district lie nom inally Democrtait
The debate today was on party lines.
STRAIGHT POPULISTS.