The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-23

possession what they claim to be a copy
Of letter written by Secretary Root tc
the briggs Company. The communication
follows:
August !, 1890.
Gentlemen: I am informed that
you have sold and delivered to the
Republic of Colombia a number of s.
pound guns for :he armament Of a
cruiser. and have delivered TO them
eco rounds Of ammunition for such
guns. and are about TO deliver an ad-
ditionaI 200 rounds.
Under the contract made by you
with the Chief Of Ordnance. United
states army april %. 1898. you are
now in default by- the nOn-deIivery
of 2.230 rounds of ammunition for
6-pounder guns, I'll of which, by the
terms of the corsract, should nave
been delivered by August =. 1898. ara
by the non-deliveTy CT 5ooo rounds
called for 10y the supplemental order
under the same contract
.'On October. 1898, IN order to facili-
tate you in performing this contract.
which voa appeared otherwise unable
to perform and TO enable the Govern
Inent 10 get the desired ammunition,
permission was given you TO use the
large press at the frankfort Arsenal
for the purpose of drawing the am
nunItiou cases 10 be furnished under
this contract.
7 am informed that the ammunition
furnished by you TO the Colombian
Government is contained IN cases
manufactured by you for the use Of
this press under the permission re
ferred To- You have no right 70 use
the cases thus manufactured for any
purpose other than for filling your
contract TO the United States Govern
Ineut. You had no right to use your
plant and machinery for the manufac-
ture Of guns and ammunition for 9th
er customers. leaving your contract
with this Government unified.
The violation Of your obligation TO
this Government appears 10 be ali the
more fragrant because Of the fact that
on the 18th of July, 1889, YOU obtained a
further contract from this Government
for the delivery of forty 6-pounder.
and forty I5-pounder rapid fire
guns. all Of which under the terms Of
the contract should have been deliver
ed by the 1st of August. 1900. and none
Of which has as yet been delivered
An opportunity VIII be afforded You
at any time during the coming week
ending Saturday, 18th. to make any
statement in writing You may choose
to make upon this subject. and To give
any reasons You may have why re
course should not be had 10 the rene
dies stipulated for by the fifth clauses
Of the aforementioned contracts,
either by supplying the deficiency in
open market, or declaring the contract
to be null and void.
Yours, respectfully,
'ELIHU ROOT.
Secretary of War
The DTigGs-Sea bury Gun and Amuu-
milton Company, Kellogg Building,
Washington, DC
Ii the brief Of the American Ordnance
Company-s counsel is the following. which
they claim Is the part Of the defence bear
ing directly on that Of the Driggs-Sea
bury Company-s attorneys. and which i
is asserted is now on file al the War De
partment:
THAT since April. 1885. they had gIver
to the department q greater number o.
rounds Of ammunition (6-pounder) thar
the number called for in their contract
that the :, eco rounds of steel shell referred
TO by Mr.. Root they had on hand and IL
readiness for delivery, and were only pre-
vented from doing so for the reason tina
the Ordnance Department had made 5,
many repeated changes in regard to th'
quality of powder 10 be used.
That default as to the 5000 rounds
called for by supplementary order wa!
erroneous for the same reason, and tina
under recent directions from the Ord
nance Department It would be about tw,
months before the powder authorize,
could be ready for the remaining ammu
milton
That in work upon cartridge cases a
the Frankfort Arsenal they had paid al
expenses Of running plant and labor, a
well as the much greater part Of tn,
work and labor done at Derby. that the,
had also paid for all material employed
and thought that the product was thei
property until tie Ordnance Department
had received and paid for it
THAT while they were supplying them
selves with plants requisite 10 do In,
same work and while their product wa.
held up for months waiting determination
on the part Of the Ordnance Depart
ment in regard to the powder question
they did not think they were violating
either law or morals in selling 652 cart
ridge cases, for cash. to the Colombian
Government, which they could not ge
from this Government. having in min,
that they still had 2,O36, on hand an,
could replace the 552 and manufactur.
enough additional to keep their contract
as soon as they could geI the proper pow
der to go with them
The Christian Science Lecture
Advertised for Sunday. March "a. 2. n. 4
Columbia. VIII be given al she National Theatre
same hour.