Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-03-13
SUBMARINE BOAT
SCANDAL HEARING,
Mr.. LiIey Charges That Electric Boat
Go. Tried to Influence the Members
Witnesses Support Him.

'The Loudenslager amendment" Lii
| ley s2id, was typewriter and looked
very familiar to me, remembering back
year or two when l had one passed
up 10 meas if it had been drawn out
| side the naval committee
Olmstead-"By whom did II look as
| if it had been written"
Lilley-'It had all the ear-marks of
one that Kellogg handed me a year
before. Marion Butler, l think. drew
1t. He is an attorney for the Electric
Boat CO..
Olmsted took up in detail the question
of plans for the building of submarine
boats and drew from Lilley the state
ment that in his opinion both the Octopus
and Lake boats are of an obsolete type
The point raised in Lilley's statement
regarding excessive profits by the Elec-
trio Boat Co. was gone into and Lilley
said he would produce evidence from
naval officers confirming that statement
A lengthy discussion arose between
Olmsted and Lilley over that portion of
Lilley's statement relating to newspaper
correspondents and the part they have
taken in creating what Lilley termed
sentiment for submarines, particularly on
the Pacific coast
while ] have no direct testimony" he
said. ito offer on that subject. ] am told
that they Crhe Electric Boat Coz have
men who attend meetings of boards of
trade. chambers of commerce, etc, who
get UP in their meetings and make adj
dresses on the appropriateness of the Pa
citic coast and the fear that the Jap
anesc will be over on the next boat, and
thus get resolutions passed instructinP
their congressman to vote for n large
number of submarines as the best means
of protecting the manufacturers from in
vasion. / think it reprehensible conduct
on the part of the company to hire law
Yers and newspaper men to go about and
create war scares and work the boards of
trade and chambers of commerce to bring
pressure to bear on members of the
House to vote the governments money
for their boats"
Lilley said he could give the names
of only two newspaper men at the pres
ent time who worked for the Electric
Boat Co. He gave names of two who.
Re said. admitted having worked for the
company.
Liley insisted that if the committee
would call the witnesses whose names
he had given lit would ascertain that a
great many such men were employed
and that Il great deal of money has been
spent in that way.
'"The air is full of it," he said
Iilley was asked by Olmsted to give
the names of attorneys employed by the
Electric Boat Co. in districts OF mem
bers of the naval affairs committee
John Kellogg" he replied. ''of Water
bury, in Mr.. Sperry's district. and W. d
Gordon of Midvale, in Mr.. LIQUIDS dis
trict. L have also been told of n lawyer
in Texas in Grege's district. I think his
name is Cowherd I 90 not think of any
more at present. but if you will call these
witnesses 1 am satisfied in my own mind
that you will discover more There are
few members of the committee I be-
lieve they have given up. I do not think
you will unravel any in Foss' district
nor in Hobson's nor in that Of Padgett
The Electric Boat Co. has ATTORNEYS in
New York City where Olcott lives I do
not know whether they are in his district.
CONTINUED on Page Two)