The Washington herald., 1907-08-04
CAN BUY LAKE BOAT
Attorney General Rules on
Submarine Purchase.
OCTOPUS IS SUPERIOR CRAFT
Experts Call Lake Boat Valuable,
but Inferior as Submarine-Deci-
sion Holds Secretary OF Navy May
Purchase Vessel that Can BE Built
ns Good as the Octopus.

The submarine board Of the navy re-
ported yesterday in favor Of the Octopus.
manufactured by the Holland Company.
as against the Lake Company's boat. on
the tests Of the different types Of subma-
rines recently held AT Newport.
Attorney General Bonaparte, in his opin-
ion, sent to the Navy Department yester-
day afternoon, stated that it was within
the discretion Of the Secretary Of the
Navy TO eXpend a portion Of the 100000
submarine boat appropriation for craft Of
the Lake type.
Secretary Metcalf has not yet passed on
the naval boards report
The law stipulates that no part Of the
100000 appropriation shall be expended
for the purchase Of any boat not the
equal OF any submarine now in the navy
or under construction. The board reported
that the only boat submitted in competi-
tion which met these requirements was
the Octopus type
Secretary Has Discretion.
The Attorney General, in his opinion.
holds that. Notwithstanding the recon-
mendatiOns Of the board. discretion lies
with the Secretary Of the Navy 10 DUR
chase any boat provided he shall be
satisfied that the boat when completed
IN accordance with the terms Of the con-
tract shall be at least equal in value for
tne purpose o. naval warfare to the Octo-
pus, or whatever other boat may have
Deen the best boat Of the submarine class
owned by OF under contract for The gov
ernment"
The opinion is construed as setting AZ
naught the recommendations of the sub
marine board, as required by the law. and
places the whole matter within the dis
eretion OF the Secretary Of the Navy 10
do as he sees fit in the matter Of Dur-
chasing boats Of this class. In effect the
opinion IS that, Notwithstanding the fact
lhat one type of boat may be inferior
10 another, as determined by the tests
required by law, the Secretary of the
Navy Is empowered 10 buy any boat. pro
Fluea II meets contract requirements thar
IL De equal TO the best boat in the navy
OF under contract for the government
Octopus Best Submarine Boat.
The report OF the submarine board. of
which Capt Mark was chairman. and
which conducted the tests Of boats sub
mitted at Newport. was also made public
yesterday The Secretary of the Naz-v in
his Instructions 10 the board asked that il
express an opinion based upou the ma
ings OF the relative merits OF the boats
submitted IN competition. and according
" the board submitted the following
II is the unanimous opinion Of The
BOARD taat the Octopus is the superior
boat presented for these tests. and. there
trz~ CHI f~
owned by the United states or urd--
contract The board is also of the ooinfor
that boat generally similar m the
Octopus, but larger, would be = s-7nerfo7
naval weapon.
subsurface Boat Valuable.
The subsurface boat cannot be- COM
pared with submarine boats. being Of an
entirely different type. but could be con-
sidered in the class or t0rpedo boats or
destroyers. if -bttit of sufficient size va+
IN the absence of the regular subsurfaca
boat, there being but a Quarter size
model il was impossible to nak--a
satisfactory comparison with any class oS
vessel From what the board observes ~
the speed and ability of the model. there
is no reason 10 doubt that guarantees
made in this respect can be carried out
II may also be conceded that n sub
surface boat IS compared with torDedo
boat has less vulnerability. requires less
men. and has a larger steaming radius.
bur she has less speed and greater
draught."
Capt. Mark fled the minority views
respecting the matter Of the surface boat.
in which he said:
In my opinion the smallest size OF
subsur1ace boat proposed by the com
pany in their additional bids. fitted with
a reguiG- torpedo tube and able 10 make
a speed OF fifteen knots would be a
weapon Of great value additional 10 anv
now owned by the government: and this
value would be enhanced by the rapiditv
with which they could be constructed and
the ease with which they could be trans
p0rfed