Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-03-19
Secretary of Navy Gives Some Interesting Evidence Before
 the Graft Committee
LETTER

teStlfy Ill relation 10 the cHargeS made by Representative Lilley of Con- necticut that wrongful methods had been used by the Electric Boat com pany to secure legislation in congress. The committees had planned in con sonance with the request Of Repre- sentative Hobson to call MT Hobsons secretary Edgar Clarkson as the first witness to-day but the appearance Of the secretary of the navy and Ad- miral Capps in response to invitation from the committee changed this plan. Both Secretary Metcalf and Admiral Capps brought with them navy de- partment documents and records as requested by the committee.
 Secretary Metcalf was questioned concerning his annual report of 1907 regarding submarine boats. He said the contract for the Lake Cos boat was entered into by the depart ment on certain guaran.ees. When asked how it was that the contra t was made for boat that was loser in the competitive trial, he said some question was raised as to the discretion vested in the department and the department referred certain questions to the attorney-general, who decided that the secretary Of | the navy had authority to enter ihto a contract with the Lake Go. In an swer to another question, he said that former Senator Thurston, a roi'- resentative of the Lake Co, askad him to submit the question to the attorney-general. He said nu ..,' | Der of congressman called on him, not with reference to letting the con tract, but regarding the opinion or | the attorney-general, and the ques- | tion of the discretion that was vest ed in him (Metcalf) under the act | When asked who those congressman were he said that, speaking from memory, he thought they were Rep resentatiyes Butler, Roberts, Lou denslager, Sherman, Llliey, Hughes | and Sperry and Senators Bulkeley and Brandegee. They felt that it was for the interests of the govern- ment to have two companies building boats.
 Messrs Metcaif and Capps both de | clared they knew of no excessive profits being realized on submarines, and the former held that the navy department should be allowed to ar range the details of the types of boats. Admiral Capps quoted unof- ficial figures to show that the Eng fish submarines have cost that coun- try more than that class of boats have cost this government. He said that the addition of ten boats would
 be by no means in excess of the re- | quirements of the country.
 Mir Lilley presented to the commit tee an affidavit, signed by Clement ID. Adams and dated Bridgeport, Conn.,. | March 16. 19Os in which Mir Adams swears that while he was engaged In business in the city of Washington during the summer of 1906. J. F. c. | Archibald. represented to him that he was q war correspondent for Golfers
 Weekly, and that he had been ap- pointed by the president of the United States to visit certain cities and towns on the Pacific coast and to report to | the president upon the condition of the coast defenses in that section. According to the deponent, Mir Arch
 ibald said to him later. that he had ! visited certain cities and towns on the
 Pacific coast and had reported thereon to the president: that he had appeared | before certain chambers of commerce,
 boards of trade and other associations of business men and citizens in var ous cities and towns and states on the
 Pacific coast, and had addressed them
 upon the advantages to be gained by the purchase by the United States
 government of submarine torpedo
 boats and that certain petitions and addresses made to congress and the members thereof by these difierent organizations were caused hy the ef-
 forts to Archibald. At later period according to the affidavit. Mir Adams showed to Archibald newspaper ar ticIe on the subject of submarine tor pedo boats wherein the Lake subma-
 inc boat was criticized, and Archibald informed him that he was the aCthor Of the articles; that he wrote the same and that the criticism of the Lake
 boat therein contained was inci;cd and
 caused by q request to him. made by
 Lawrence Y. Spear. an officer of the
 Electric Roat Co, and that the re-
 quest was acceded to by Archibald
 because he tArchibaldl was under ob- Iigations to Spear and the Electric
 Boat Co.
 Accompanying the affidavit was the following letter from President Reese
 welt denying that Arrhibald was ever
 appointed or employed by him. or. as
 far as hc knew. was ever appointed
 or employed by anyone else coAnecte,l with the administration:
 The White House. Washington
 March 18th. 1908.
 My dear Mr LIliey: Referring tl Il our conversation of this morning Mi Archibald never vas appointed ol J employed by me. nor SO far as know
 vas he ever appointed or employed E bv anyone else connected with th' administration. Some time about ! year ago he came Ia and Sav me fO' about tvo minutes and said that hi Twas going to make an iuTestigatioI of the question of suubmsrine de
 feuss on the Pacific. especialIy. be Iieve. in reference to Puget sound
 and that he vas immensely inter .estei Ia the subject. having bssn [