Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-13
WOULD CRIPPLE NAVY
Effect Of Adverse Action on
Recommendation.
APPEAL TO CONGRESS
NECESSITY FOR ENLARGING
NAVY YARD GUN FACTORY.
Outside Firms Not Able to Meet the
Conditions Of the Increasing
Sea Force.

|
The failure Of Congress to appropriate a
| sufficient sum of money to enlarge the gun
| factory. plant at the Washington navy yard,
| as recommended by tine executive officers
| of that establishment, will practically mean
! the Gripping of the superb American navy.
| This statement was made with directness
and emphasis to Star reporter by a naval
| officer of extensive experience in ordnance
| matters, and. who is familiar with the
/ Washington gun foundry in all it's details,
as well as with the armament of war YES
| sells.
/ THE continual increas in the size of the
navy" the officer added, must be followed
! by a reasonable increase in facilities for
manufacturing guns and gun mounts for
! the new ships. This work cannot be &C
complished by any gun making establish
ment in the United States outside of that in
the Washington navy yard. with the in
crease in buildings, force and machinery
| asked for in the estimates recently submit
| ted to the Navy Department by Capt. Ed
win c. Pendleton, who is in charge of the
naval gun factory.
1.-THE proposed extension of this plant will
| not interfere with the quantity of ordnance
work now being executed by outside COM
| panies.
THE latter are receiving from the gov
! eminent more orders than they can fill.
And it may be added that it is not possible
! to get from outside companies in this coun-
| try the kind and quality of work required
! by our navy. Such work can only be pro-
| duced at the Washington gun factory.
Therefore, looking at the matter from
all points of view, it will be suicidal step
for Congress to refuse to grant the increase
| asked for by Captain Pendeton, or the
greater portion Of it. 1t will be absolutely
impossible to arm our new war vessels
with modern ordnance; keep up the neces-
sary repairs and keep pace with the ad-
vance in modern guns unless increased ia
cilities are speedily supplied the United
states naval gun factory at the Washing
ton navy yard
Works at Full Capacity.
Investigation by Star reporter has de-
veloped that the present plant is being
worked to its fullest and most strained ca
pacity every minute in every twenty-four
hours, except Sundays, and it is considered
necessary by the executive officers of the
gun factory to resume Sunday work. The
wheels of the establishment are whizzing
without intermission morning, noon and
night. The $500 workmen are divided into
three shifts of eight hours each, and the
big boilers are never allowed to cool. The
work turned out by the naval gun factory
Is OF the very highest order, and it's pro-
duction costs the government less than the
work furnished by outside companies not
Withstanding the fact that the mechanics
and laborers receive higher wages than
those employed in private establishments
They work but eight hours day and are
year.
the workmen appreciate these facts and
besides they foresee disaster ahead in the
retusai or Congress to maintain at its high
the United States which is able to cope
with the Krupps of Germany, the Wool
Wich establishments in England and the
other great gun-producing plants OF the
world This matter was brought promi-
nent!y before the Central Labor Union of
Washington at it's meeting last night by
Columbia Lodge of the International Asso-
citation Of Machinists. A resolution was
presented calling upon the central body to
cooperate with the organization of ma
chinists in securing legislation for the pur-
at the naval gun factory. Similar resolu-
tons will, 1t is stated, be presented to the
Board OF Trade and other representative
bodies in the District.
One of the Oldest emploves Of tho p,n
Factory, a man trained in the art of gun
making and OF long experience as skilled
mach1nist, said 1t was illogical and unreal
sohaoie Tor Congress to vote millions of
money Tor the increase in the number OF
modern war ships in the navy and at the
same time to refuse to appropriate a sniff
cient amount of money for maintaining
gun factory of sufficient capacity to supply
the new ships with the necessary ordnance
employing homely old adage to de-
scribe the situation, he said the proposed
t t would be like pump without
handle, for without guns, and the most
modern ones at that the most powerful
war vessel becomes as harmless as a
peaceful merchantmen"
Want Plant Increased,
We want the gun factory plant increas-
ed" said an officer, 'in order that it NAV
be able to do the ordinary work for the
navy The only other plant in the coun-
try that can in any measure assist the
government in Quitting it's new and mag
nifcent navy with ordnance is that at
Bethlehem, Pa, and that establishment
cannot turn out the kind and quality Of
work that is produced at the Washington
navy yard. Besides, the Bethlehem works
are already taxed to their fullest capacity
with government ORDERS 1 understand"
This officer said he was afraid politics
had been allowed to enter into the matter
to the detriment of the navy because the
mistaken idea has gone forth that to make
the proposed increase in the naval gun fac
tory would be to place it in the Industrial
field in competition with outside labor and
manufacturers. The most strenuous oppo-
sition to the extension of the plant is be-
lieved by some officers to be the result Of
this misconception of the real situation.
1.-The Secretary of the Navy is no doubt
honest in his intentions when he refuses to
recommend the increase asked for by the
officers of the gun factory" said one of the
attaches, but he is mistaken. He may
have been misled by persons having selfish
motives"
Some of the important points developed
by the investigation made by the reporter
were, first, that the work executed by out
side factories is not of the same good quail
ity as that produced at the government
foundry. and costs the Navy Department
nearly so per cent more; that outside work
Is not interchangeable with the govern
ment work; that the proposed increase
would do away with one, and perhaps both,
Of the night forces while largely increasing
the working power of the factory; that the
necessary ordnance work for the navy, new