Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-04-16
LAKE ON HAND
Much Sought For Witness Before
Committee Men Who Pre-
pared Lilley's Questions.


anxious to secure as witness, ap-
peared before the committee to-day.
Mr. Lake left this country for Havana
the Lilley resolution. The trip he
said was made for the benefit of RMS
Lakes health and the first intimation
he had that he was wanted by the
committee was when he reached New
/ York last Tuesday. Mr. Lake said that
he had received no telegram nor had
he sent one while in New Orleans.
Mr. Neff said yesterday in his tes-
timony before the Boutelle committee
that the Lake company had data in its
possession from which he framed
large number of technical questions
that were asked the various witnesses
and that others had been suggested
to him by rumors, newspaper articles,
etc. He said he had conferred FREE
quently with Mr. Lilley in the prepa-
ration of these questions and that Mr.
Lilley had suggested various lines
asked.
ID IL uOJ Ludb OuUoGohGiesilJ
all of Mr. Lilley's formal statements
to this committee have been prepared
either by you or after consultation
with you and Senator Thurston?:'
asked Mr. Howard.
Il should say that a greater por-
tion of them had been.
rs it not also true that substan-
TALLY all the questions submitted by
Mr. Lilley to this committee to be pro-
pounded to the various witnesses have
been prepared either by you and Sem
ator Thurston or after consultation
between you and Mr. Lilley?"
Practically so, yes"
Mr. Neff said he considered it his
duty to lend all assistance possible to
the clearing UP of the submarine sit
uation.
Mr. Lilley at various times has sub
mitted lists of questions, addressed tc
the chairman of the committee and
signed by himself, which has wound
up with the following statement:
Not being an attorney or having an
opportunity under the rules of the
committee to have any of said wit
nesses examined by attorneys, | am
unable to state more specifically the
line OF inquiry desire to have pur-
sued and the responsibility of sueir
examination remain as decided by 4lre
committee upon the members there
Of"
Mr. Thurston informed the COM
mittee that all lists of questions with
this ending had been dictated by
him. He also said he had dictated
the statement Mr. Lilley presented to
the committee on rules as we'll as
number of other statements he had
presented to the investigating COM
mittee.
Mr. Thurston told of q luncheon
given at hotel in this city by John
c. Lake during the past Christmas
holidays, at which the entire Con-
necticut delegation of both houses
and one or two other men were pres
ent. The purpose of the luncheon,
he said, was TO discuss with this DEL
egation the question of having the
delegation ask the secretary of the
navy to give the Lake company a
chance under the naval appropria-
ton bill of last year. He said the
members were favorable to calling
on the secretary with this purpose in
view and that some time in January
a number of them did go TO see him
in the interest of the Lake company.
II is under the provisions OF this bill
that the Lake company has secured
the contract TO build one boat, no
money TO be paid until the boat
demonstrates that it is .he equal of
any submarine boat now owned or
contracted for by the United States
government.
no~1a-os