Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-04-02
Lake Accuses Navy Department
III of Stealing Features of
His Submarine.
SENSATIONAL OPEN LETTER
Father of the inventor Appeals to
Roosevelt to Cancel Contracts for
Holland Boats and Prohibit Fulfil
ment of "Nefarious scheme"-A
Square Deal Wanted.

inventor Of the Lake type Of subma-
rlnG boats. Mr.. ]. c. Lake, who is we'll
known here. has sent an open letter
and pamphlet to President Roosevelt
IN which he makes serious charges
against certain government officials
and appeals for the cancellation of Ger
ain contracts granted to the Holland
Torpedo Boat Company, OH the ground
that unfair discrimination was exer-
ciscd against the Lake Submarine
Boat Company. OF which Simon Lake
is the president
The pamphlet opens with the fol-
lowing letter from MIR. J. c. Lake:
Bridgeport, Conn, March 81 1905.
President Theodore Roosevelt,
White House,
Washington, d. c.
Sir.
II, j. G.. Lake, for the sake of my
son. Simon Lakc-an American inven-
tor of submarine bOats-rcspcctfully,
openly appeal 10 you to order that GER
tain contracts be cancelled for Hol-
land submarine boats because said
contracts were ,nlawfully made and
TO cause the statutory and criminal
laws uf the United States to be strict
~ enforced"
Competition, between the Lake and
Holland types of submarines" the
pamphlet declares, has heen unlaw.
iully eliminated, and a contract made
Tor Holland boats, in open violation of
the mandate Of Congress after debate.
and Simon Lake has been deprived of
lawful rights, guaranteed by Congress.
after public petition by him. BY a
vote OF 10 tn LOG Congress refused To
IN m ~,
submarine law. but the navy depart
ment has eliminated said competition
against the protest OF Simon Lake.
After notice from him. the navy
department. deliberately contracted
with the Holland people to furnish to
the government certain Lake tyne
features in submarines. which the gov
ernment has bodily and specifically
appropriated to its own use and that of
the Holland people. without any com
peDsation to Simon Lake"
Quoting the law, passed by Congress,
which sets forth that contracts shall
be awarded only after the navy lie
partment has had competitive trials
between n government submarine and
any other type of submarine boat,
amy private party may wish 10 enter
into the competition. the paper al
lcgcs that the navy department. in
spite of the persistent demand of he
Lake company. declined to grant such
a competitive test 10 It's boat, al.
though Congress received a petition to
that effect from Simon Lake am. the
board Of construction endorsed IL. II
is then alleged that this was due to
lobbying" by persons interested in
the Holland boat. and extracts from
correspondence and testimony taken
at hearings before the naval committee
arc included in The pamphlet.
Deliberate Stealing" =
Finally II says:
The deliberate stealing of the Lake
submarine features in recommends
lions made to the secretary for I'M
provcmcns to the government Hol-
lands, and the subsequent acts in i'm
proving Holland submarines with Lake
features, leave no room for argument.
you, Mr.. President, alone must pro.
hibt tho fulfilmcni OF this nefarIous
scheme anu order that Simon Lake he
adequately paid for his submarine
features now on government Hollands.
and that in the future no Lake typo
features be used In any United States
navy submarines unless tho license
OF Simon Lake be first obtained by
tho government or government con-
tractors.
Il call upon YOU as the only person
powerful enough TO call n halt on the
manifest violation Of plain law and
common dccency, and ] hope you will
use every means in your power to in.
vcstigatc this entire transaction and
suspend Holland contracts during an
investigation. il necessary, by special
United States attorneys. and then give
to Simon Lake; an American invcn-
tor. square deal for competition,
nothing more, nothing less
Tho Lake Submarine Torpedo Boat
Company had the submarine Simon
Lake X. constructed at the shipyard
here and intended to enter her into
q competitive test viii the government
Holland boat. The trial never took
place aud the vessel was sold to Rus.
sia and Is now part of the Cars
J navy.
Simon Lake, he inventor of the
Lake submarines. is now in Russia,
where he has established plant.
49,