The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-13

oly of submarine construction; also that ] large sums of money have been spent to l accomplish the defeat of members of the naval committee who did not favor the Electric Boat company
 That an examination of the books and records of the Electric Boat company and l of it's predecessors. the Holland Boat com pany, will show that large sums of money have been paid from their treasuries for the above purpose.
 Persistent Efforts.
 That continuous and repeated efforts have been made by representatives of the Electric Boat company and it's predeces- sor to influence the action of the of Gcials of the navy department, and that l such efforts in the past were so persis- 1 tent and notorious as to call forth the 1 condemnation and criticism of high of l fcals of the navy department.
 1 That from 1893 up to the present time these efforts of the Electric Boat com pany and the Holland company have re- suited in absolutely expressing any possi- bility of competition in submarine con struction and securing and awarding of all contracts. either by specific appropria- ton or by legislative appropriation skill fully drawn, to this company without pos sibiiity of competition.
 That it can be shown by former in- vestigations before the naval committee of the House upon which no report was made to the House of Representatives that the Holland Boat company and the Electric Boat company have been engaged in reprenensible efforts to influence mem- bers of Congress and officials of the navy department in favor of their boats and appropriations therefor.
 That it can be shown upon investiga- l ton that certain representatives of lead l ing newspapers have been subsidized and paid by the Electric Boat company for | favorable newspaper articles and reports 1 in behalf of said companies
 1 investigation Welcomed.
 q have taken it for granted if these i things are not true a full investigation would be welcomed not only by every member of Congress but by every mem- 1 Der of the naval committee-as we'll as py the officers and agents of the Electric 1 Boat company
 1 MT. Lilley repeated to the committee l as confrmatory of his suspicious against 1 the Electric Boat company the incident ] related by him to the committee on rules. l wherein an intimate friend of his, large 1 manufacturer in his home town told him ] that he the manufacturer), had the prom l ise of a large order if he OIilley) would i vote for the submarines; and that q l lawyer of his own city came to Wash ington and stopped with him and en- deavored to influence him in favor of the Electric Boat company.
 T am prepared to give the committee the name of this lawyer" said MT. Lil- 1 ley q make the same offer with regard i to the manufacturer referred to. 1 can also give the name of a manufacturer ! Of Waterbury, Conn, who endeavored to | secure from the Electric Boat company ar order to supply certain manufactured 1 products to that company, and who was I by the representative of that company informed that the order would be placed with him if he would secure my sup port of the proposed legislation in favor of the Electric Boat company.
 Purchase of Submarines.
 "I also call the attention of the com mittee to the character of the amend 1nent proposed by Representative Lou denslager to the naval appropriation bill which requires in specific terms that
 the secretary of tho navy shall aWafti the entire proposed appropriation for the
 construction of the boats of the Octopus
 type-constructed by the Electric Boat ccmpany-unless prior to March l. 1908,
 some other boat should be presented
 which in the opinion of the secretary
 of the navy equals or exces the Octo-
 pls. It Is q fact that is known of al.
 men that there is not at the present time
 in American waters and cannot in the
 nature of things be presented within the i period of eigll teen months from the pres
 ent time, q competing or rival boat te
 the boats of the Electric Boat com i pany.
 MT Iilley said he had learned that
 the Electric Boat company had employed
 as it's attorney W. D. Gordon in thu
 congressional district of Representa tiv,
 Loud of Michigan. Where the com
 pany could have had no possible use | for an attorney In the conduct of its
 legitimate affairs; and this attorney wa'
 employed for the sole purpose of en | de.voring to secure favorable action oi
 the part of Representative Loud for sucf
 legislation as the Electric Boat compan, | night desire 'l am not charging, said
 MT Jilley. that Representative Loud
 vas influenced by these efforts, but l
 am charging that these efforts were an