The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-01
Author of Anonymous [ pisH4
 Admits That He Wrote ].
 Several of Them {
MAN IS IN HOSPITAL AND CANNOT TESTIFY
Former Clerk To Committee On Naval Affairs In the House Makes Sen sationaI Statement at Close
 of the Investigation.

Washington, April so-The investi- gation into the legislative methods em- ployed by the Electric Boat company directed by the House of Representa- lives under resolution introduced February 20, last, by Representative George L. I.iIley of Connecticut, ended as far as open sessions of thei special House committee, which has been conducting it are concerned. The closing hours of the case were dramatic. Frederick Brown Whitney, an attorney at law, admitted that he was the au thor of the anonymous letters of Feb ruary 13 and February 15 to the rep resentative of the Detroit Free Press and State Senator Frank Peterborough of Michigan. Admission of MT. Whit ney was made in the form of an af- fidavit which was read by his counsel, Former Senator Thurston of Nebraska. MT. Thurston stated that MT. Whitney is i'll in the Garfield hospital, this cits and that 1t would be impossible fo' him to appear before the committee
 In the affidavit, Mir Whitney stat that from 1901 to 1904 he was clerk
 the committee on naval affairs of House of Representatives that sho ly thereafter the second vice presif
 of the Lake Torpedo Boat comp
 which position he retained until
 19, 1906 that he is now vice presi
 of the Lake Submarine comnanv
 independent orgapizattom The reason for writing the anonymous letters wer, given by MT. Whitney as follows:
 That of his initiation, he undertook what appeared to him at the time. to be not improper methods to have brought to the attention of Congress the methods which he had believed had been pursued by the Electric Boat com pany in their endeavor to secure through congressional action what might be termed exclusive Legislation which would shut out competition and prevent the Lake Torpedo Boat com pany from competing in the United States for submarine torpedo boats construction"
 Anonymous Letter.
 Reference is made to anonymous communications sent by MT. Whitney to New York newspaper and that af- fidavit continued;
 Said deponent sent said communica- tions and said statements to said news papers, believing that Representative Loud had voted for an exclusive ap- propriation for submarines of d certain (, that Mr. Loud voted by letter for sub marines without condition and he deep ly regrets the wrong and injustice So done by him to Representative Lour who was inocent of all suspicious en- tertained by deponent concerning him..
 MT. Whitney, in his affidavit, says that when he sent these anonymous communI- cations he had good reason to believe that resolution would be introduced in the House of Representatives for an investi- gaton of the methods of the Electric Boat company and the processor, the Holland Boat company. He further says that he sent newspaper clippings to some members of the naval committee and may have sent to Representative Lilley before February 20, 1908. the date of introduce ton of MT. Lilley's resolution of inquiry, newspaper clippings including the figures of alleged excessive cost of submarines, namely sl,i76,29 9660, which he attempted to compile from the testimony of Admira; Bowles. given before the naval committee on the House in 1902. In conclusion the affidavit states that MT. Whitney has no personal Knowledge from which he would give any evidence to sustain any of the charges of Representative Lilley.
 Boutell Explains.
 In announcing the closing of the open sessions Chairman Boutell said that the question of the production of letters of Representative Lilley and the books of the two submarine boat companies will be determined by the committee after a careful examination and analysis of the evidence upon which the demand for these documents was based He also stated that all the witnesses whose names were suggested to the committee by Mir. Lilley. had been examined and that the commit tee had also called on its own account all witnesses who it thought could cast any light whatever upon the issues recog- nized by Mir. Lilieys charges and ''alsoo point out if possible the motives lying behind the unsustained charges irl
 There still remains, continued N Boutell, "a few fictitiously signed lettehre handed in by MT. Lillely a few anony,nt nous letter. and one or two affidaviut which have not been made the basis ot $ any evidence taken by this commI.tee. . On careful examination 1t appears that these suggestions relate either to dead members of the House of Representatives who died in full honor and respect of their fellow men, or else these matters relate entirely to remote congresses and recognize questions which this committee has no powr to deal"
 ba If ,A l,a 1, ,lxr will not be presented to the House for some time. It is the intention of the members to make an exhaustive examina- tio3 of all evidence and documents sub mi ed and should they decide to demand the production of the letters and books