The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-16
.L|LLEY CHARGES
 AGAIN TAKEN UP Lake Torpedo Company People
 Before Committee IMPORTANT DATA-0N HAND Abner R. Neff Testifies That He and Counsel Had Prepared the Cues
 tions To Be Asked By
 MT. LiIIey.
IMPORTANT DATA-0N HAND

Washington, April 15.-The Lake Tor pedo company was placed in the attitude of prosecutor of the Electric Boat com pany in the investigation now being con
 ducted by a special committee of the House of Representatives on charges pre- ferred against the Electric company by
 Representative Lilley of Connecticut. This was brought out at todays session of the committee when Abner R. Ney the Washington representative of the Lake
 company, and former Senator John M.
 Thurston, general counsel of that com pany, admitted that they had prepared most of the questions which had been sub mitted to the committee by MT. Lilley to be asked the witnesses of the Electric Boat company as the statements MT Lil ley had presented to the committee. MT. Neff stated that the Lake company had data in its possession of which he framed large number of technical questions that were asked various witnesses, and had
 been suggested to him by rumors. news paper articles, etc. He said he had con-
 ferred frequently with MT. Lilley in the 1 preparation of these questions, and that l MT. Lilley had suggested various lines l along which he wanted questions asked. 1 'Is it not true that substantially all of 1 Mir. Lilleys formal statements to this
 committee have been prepared either by | you or after consultation with you and | Senator Thurston?" asked MT. Howard. q should say that a greater portion | of them had been," was the reply.
 | "Is it not also true that substantially | all the questions submitted by MT. Lilley | to this committee, to be propounded to l the various witnesses, have been pre- l pared either by you and Senator Thurs 1 ton, or after consultation between you
 and MT. Lilley?"
 Practically so, yes.'
 l MT. Neff said he considered 1t his duty | to lend all assistance possible to the 1 clearing up of the submarine situation. | MT. Lllley at various times has submit l ted lists of questions, addressed to the | chairman of the committee and signed | by himself, which have wound up with l the following statement:
 Not being an attorney or having an | oportunity under the rules of the com mittee to have any of said witnesses ex- | amined by attorneys, am unable to
 state more specifically the line. of inquiry
 I desire to have pursued and the respon- | sibility of such examination must remain, l as decided by the committee, upon the ! members thereof" MT Thurston informed | the committee that all lists of questions ] with this ending had been dictated by 1 him. He also said he had dictated the
 statement MT. Lilley presented to the I committee on rules, as well as a num- i Der of other statements he had presented <; to the Investigating committee.
 : MT. Thurston told of luncheon given i at a Washington hotel by Mr. John C.. 1 Lake. during the past Christmas holidays, ! at which the entire Connecticut delega7 1 tion Of both houses and one or two others {, were present The purpose of the lunch ] con. he said was to discuss with this i delegation the question of having the i delegation ask the Secretary of the Navy 1 to give the Lake company chance un-
 der the naval appropriation bill of last 1 year. He said the members were favor- 1 able to calling on the secretary and that ! some time in January number or them | did 20 to see him in the interest of the | Lake company. It is under the provls- l ions of this bill that the Lake company | secured the contract to build one boat, | no money to be paid it until the boat demonstrated that it is the equal of any submarine boat now owned or contract ed for by the United States government The hearing will be continued tomorrow