Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-21
COMMITTEE SAYS
!. CHARGE BASELESS
.LILLEY'S ACCUSATION NOT
WELL FOUNDED
SAYS HE WAS INSTRUMENT OF
RIVAL COMPANY.
Exhaustive Report Is Submitted to
House in Which Testimony at
Investigation Is Fully
Reviewed
IN Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
WASHINGTON. May 2O.---That Rep
resentative George l.. Lilley of Con-
necticut was not warranted in bringing
charges against certain of his coll
leagues in the house and accredited
members of the press Is the conclusion
reached by the special committee
named by Speaker Cannon to investi-
gate methods employed by the Electric
Boat company of New Jersey in con-
nection with legislation before con-
gress.
In an exhaustive report submitted to
the house today Chairman Boutell and
his colleagues review the testimony
brought out before the committee on
hearings extending over several weeks,
and declare with entire unanimity that
no member of the house and no repre-
sentative of the press have been in
duced by officers of the Electric Boat
company to act from corrupt or I'M
proper motive.
Furthermore, the committee finds
that Mr.. Lilley allowed himself to be
used as an instrument OF the Lake Boat
company in questioning the integrity
and fairness of members of the investt-
eating committee and In attacking a
competitive submarine company.
Charge Bad Faith
Mr.. Lilley Is charged also with main
tanning an attitude of bad faith, both
In bringing the charges and concealing
from the committee the identity of the
real parties in interest beyond the in
vestigation.
The conclusions reached as the unan-
imous act of the committee follow:
THAT house resolution 220. introduced
by Mr.. Lilley, was an impotent resolu-
ton, and no evidence could have been
compelled thereupon. and that this res
olution compelled the adoption of house
resolution 2SS of the committee on
rules, under which the inquiry has pro-
ceeded.
Second-That Mr.. Lilleys resolution
was not introduced in good faith.
Third-That Mr.. Lilley hal no infor-
nation to justify his charges made be-
fore the committee on rules
Fourth-That Mr.. Lilley acted in bad
faith in making his charges before the
committee on rules
Fifth-That Mr.. Lilley acted in bad
faith in stating before this committee
that he had made no charges rejecting
upon members of the house before the
committee on rules.
Used as instrument
Sixth-That Mr.. Lilley allowed himself
to be used as an instrument of the Lake
Torpedo Boat company in its rivalry
and attack upon competing company.
Seventh-That Mr.. Lilley's real object
in introducing his resolution and max
ing his charges was the same as the
purpose of the propaganda "of the Lake
Torpedo Boat company" namely, the
defeat of the clause in the naval oom-
mittee's bill relating to submarines.
Etghth-That Mr.. Lilley acted in bad
faith in concealing from your committee
the real parties in interest who were
| behind this investigation and furnish
tsfArr Ii, I,,fa i
Ninth-That the charge that the four
battleships proposition was defeated by
the adoption of the submarine clause
in the naval committee bill was false,
and that Mr.. Lilley, as a member of
the naval committee, knew the charge
was false, and that he refused to MAIN
tain the charge before this committee.
Tenth-That Representative Loud
was made the object of anonymous
charges that were without any foun-
dalton in fact.
Violated Obligation
E1eventf-That Mr.. Lilley violated
| his obligation as a member of this
house in formulating and urging be-
fore this committee the groundless
charges against Representative Loud.
| Twelfth-That Mr.. Lilley acted in
contempt of this house in bringing the
forged letter from Webster to Edn-
borough instead of delivering it to this
committee.
Thirteenth--That Mr.. Lilley violated
| his obligation as a member of this
house in permitting his clerk to send
out letters In Mr.. Lilley's name re-
fecting on the honor and integrity of
members of the house.
! Fourteenth-That Mr.. Lilley acted in
contempt of this house in not disavow-
1 ffacr tIaa 20
the letter to Golf, published over his
signature. rejecting upon the honor
and integrity of members of this house.
Fifteenth-That no official of the
navy has been induced by the officers
of the Electric Boat company or any
one else to act in an official capacity
from corrupt or improper motives.
Sixteenth-That Mr.. Lilley's charge
of excessive profits in the submarine
contracts was based on fictitious fig
ures composed by an agent of the
Lake Torpedo Boat company by per-
version of the testimony of Admiral
Bowles in 1902.
| Seventeenth-That the charge that
an excessive profit in the submarine
contracts was due to special 1egisla-
ton in favor of one company was
false and Mr.. Lilley knew that the
charge was false when he made 1t.
Eighteenth-That no representatives
of the press have been bribed or COR
rupted by the Electric Boat company.
| Nfneteenth-That no member Of the
committee on naval affairs has been
| induced by officers of the Electric
Boat company or anyone else to act in
his official capacity from corrupt or
improper motives.
| Twentieth-That no member of this
, house has been induced by officers of
the Electric Boat company or anyone
else to act in his official capacity from
corrupt or improper motives.
Twenty-frst-That the two attorneys
employed by the Electric Boat COM
pany in the districts of members of
business of said company did not ex-
ercise a corrupting influence upon
either Mr.. Lilley or Mr.. Loud. in
whose districts they lived.
| Twenty-second-That no campaign
or other contributions were made by
the Electric Boat company to any
member of this house OF to any cam
paign committee or fund of any polit-
ical party.
y-third-That Mr.. Lilley has
sworn repeatedly, including his APP
pearance before this committee, that
| he had no further suggestions, facts
or sources of information and that he
| had withheld from the committee
nothing that would tend to sustain his
charges.
FREDERICK STEVENS,
MARTIN n OTMSTED.