Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-20
PRINCIPLE INVOLVED
QUESTION REGARDING WAR YES
Sells IN PROCESS OF BUILDING.
Importance Of Protecting the Govern
ment's Interests in Ownership
of Valuable Ships.

1t is learned at the Navy Department to-
day that far greater interests are involved
in the decision of the question of the pos
session of the cruisers Galveston and Chat
tanooga than are represented by the actual
cash value of those boats. 1t is regarded
as absolutely essential at this stage to
establish a sound precedent and determine
the question of title to war vessels under
construction in order to protect the gov
ernments interests in the ownership of at
least a dozen ships including vast battle
ships worth nearly 5000 OC0 each. The
Navy Department having satisfied itself
of the sufficiency of the governments title
to such ships in the case of the Galveston
has now remitted to the Department of
Justice the assertion of the governments
proprietorship by the processes of law.
1t is understood that the Department of
Justice will proceed at once both in the
case of the Galveston lying at Richmond
and the Chattanooga building at Elizabeth
port, N j.. under section "'a3 Revised
Statutes. which will insure the continuation
of work the ships. leaving for future
determination the question as to who Is to
pay the subcontractors for the material
they furnished which has been wrought
into the ships. Under this program the.
honor of the government will be substitute
ed for the liability of the receivers as a
pledge to the suhcontractors for the pay
ment of their just claims.
The United States government through
the Department of Justice would appear
in the courts. state or national. which have
granted injunctions Or which have issued
attachments and enter stipulation that In
the event the government should by regu-
lar judicial proceedings later on be held
liable for the amount of the subcontract-
ors' bills these claims will be paid This
stipulation will be entered by the solicitor
of the treasury. and 1t is thfrefore proba
BILE that no further delays will be encount-
cred In the completion of the Galveston
and the Chattanooga, while any show of
force or duress on the part OF the national
government would be avoided. 1t is fully
expected that similar action to that about
to be taken in the case of these two cruis-
ers will be necessary In the case of some
much larger warships now on the stocks.
Launch of Galveston Postponed
1t was admitted at the Navy Department
this afternoon that the launching of the
cruiser Galveston. originally set for Mon
day next, has been indefinitely postponed.
This is undoubtedly done to await the set
tlement of the questions which have arisen
out of the restraining order issued by Judge
Grinnan of the chancery court of Rich
mond. There is reason to believe that
satisfactory adjustment of the legal en-
tanglement will be made within the next
few days, at least to the extent of revok-
ing the injunction against the launching of
the warship. In that event it is possible
that the ceremony may take place the lat
ter part of next week. The restraining or
der as understood here, applies only to
the launching and not to the continuation
of work on the vessel at the ship yards.
The explanation of this Is that the supply
creditors have offered no objection to op-
erations which will naturally increase the
value of the vessel as an asset, but merely
oppose the launching for the reason that
1t might result In the removal of the ves-
sci FROM the jurisdiction of the Richmond
court
Galveston Injunction.
Stecal Dispatch to The Evening Star.
NORFOLK, Va, June 20-It is stated
here today by parties seemingly in posi-
tion to know that the Injunction Of the