Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-03-25
Shells Not Made at Frankfort Arsenal
for Foreign Government
OFFICIALS WILL NOT DISCUSS IT
Controller TraceweII VIII Refer
Mr.. Hopkins Charges.
THE LATTER'S : STATEMENT


Star reporter today what action he had
taken in the charges filed in his office
against the Driggs-Seabury Arms and Am
munition Company by Mr.. Hopkins, repre-
senting the American Ordnance Company.
It IS charged that the Driggs-Seabury
Company is in defauit ON contracts with
the government. The most serious ae-
cusation Is that while the Driggs-Seabury
Company was using the Frankfort arsenal
In making certain shell to 6llits contract
to the government it accepted contract
from the Colombian government for fur
nishing shells.
1t is alleged that these shells for foreign
government were actually made in gov
ernment arsenal and sold to Colombia. Gen.
A. r. Burlington, chief of ordnance of the
War Department. is charged with permit
ting the use of government machinery,
power and wOrkmen.
Controller TracewelIs Statement.
Mr. Tracewell made this statement:
Il took the papers up this morning for
the first time and went over them care
fully. 1 will refer them without comment
to the Secretary of War for his inferma-
tton and consideration. There is nothing in
the status of the case at this time to war
rant my official interference. The matter
at this stage is properly one for the War
Department.
II do not know that there is much in the
case, but there may be, and think, as it
affects the War Department, the Secre-
tary should have the benefit of the infor-
nation contained in the papers. l will
send copy also to tho auditor for the
War Department. Either the Secretary of
war, the auditor or the proper disbursing
officer may again refer some portion of the
case to me- If 80 1 will take 1t up and
consider it. No, 1 have refused to make
public any of the matters contained in the
papers and suppose the Secretary of War
Will do 80 If he desires"
Decline to Discuss Charges.
In view of the fact that the charges will
be made the subject of an official investi-
cation, the officials Of the War Depart
ment decline to discuss them for publica-
ton at this time. The officers of the bu-
reau of ordnance who are more especially
concerned in the charges are particularly
retlcent and many of them go SO far as to
uecilne even to see newspaper men. This
was the case with General Burlington, chief
OF the ordnance department.
A Star reporter called at his Office this
afternoon to get his version of the case but
was unable to do so, as he had given posi-
tive instructions to his assistants not to
admit newspaper men. One of his assist
ants explained General Buffington's position
with the remark that as he had not done
anything wrong, there was nothing for him
Denounced as Ridiculous.
Major Frank Heath. commandant of the
Frankfort arsenal, near Philadelphia has
been heard from, however, with respect to
the charge that the Driggs-Seabury Gun
Company had been permitted to manufac-
ture guns and ammunition for the Colon
bian government at the Frankfort arsenal.
newspaper dispatch from Philadelphia
quotes Major Heath as saying that the
charge Is ridiculous" q zen
I'm the first place. Maj. Heath Is quoted
as saying. there are no facilities at the
Frankford arsenal for the manufacture of
ordnance; consequently that part OF the
statement is trash. There is. however,
basis for the statement that the arsenal
was used for the manufacture of shells.
Shells were made there by the briggs COM
pany. but they were not for the Colombian
government. They were for the United
States government. In 1897 the Driggs-Sea-
bury Company had an extensive contract to
make shells of various caliber for the
United States army. They did not have GER
tain machinery or processes for working
more of this ammunition, and in order to
hasten its completion the government gave
them permission to use the machinery at
the frankfort arsenal.
The shells were made at the arsenal and
We're finished at the works Of the briggs
Seabury Company, under the supervision
of government inspector who has a rec
ord of the whole matter. The thing was
done in an entirely legitimate way, and it
was not to help the briggs company, but
to expedite the delivery of the shells, which
the government badly needed, that the use
Of the arsenal was permitted
copy of this statement of Major Heath
was sent to General Burlington this after
noon with request that he say whether
1t was true not. The statement was
returned to the reporter with the remark
that General Burlington had nothing what
ever to say on the subject.
Mr.. Hopkins Statement.
Mr.. Thomas 8. Hopkins of Hopkins &
Hopkins, counsel for the American Ord
nance Company today made the following
statement of their side of the case:
while we have no disposition to exploit
this matter in the newspapers. yet the at
tention of the public having been drawn
to it, we feel that we can with propriety
make a statement in the premises
TN 1898 the ordnance department of the
army invited proposals for eighty fifteen
FOUNDER guns and twenty six-pounder guns,
ton per gun. The riggs-Seabury Com
panys bid was little under that of the
American Ordnance Company. and the con-
tract was awarded to them in April, 1898
Under the terms Of their contract the
Driggs-Seabury Company agreed to begin
delivery Of the six-pounders within sixty
days; Of the ffteenpounders within ninety
days; the delivery of all to be complete
'In default thereof there was q provision
for penalty Of so per day for each day
OF delay in the delivery of each gun and
mount
"In March 1890. the ordnance department
invited proposals for additional guns &c.
namely, forty six-pounder and forty fifteen
FOUNDER rap1d-fire guns and mounts. Again
the Driggs-Seabury Company underbid the
American Ordnance Company.
Protest Filed.
Counsel for the latter company at once
filed protest with the Secretary of War
against the award of this contract to the
briggs Seabury Company, on the ground
that that company was not a competent
bidder, inasmuch 1t was in default I'M
der an existing contract. namely. the con-
tract Of April. $685. In point of fact.
eleven months had elapsed and not a
single gun mount or round Of ammunition
had been Furnished by the company under
It's 1898 contract. Nor did there seem to
be any prospect that they could fulfill
their contract or any part thereon for
many months to come.
Attention was especially invited to the
fact that the capacity Of the plant Of the
DrtRgS-SeaburY COmnanV a,lot, hat n