Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-21
CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION
METHODS OF SUBMARINE BOAT
COMPANIES QUESTIONED.
Resolution introduced by Represen.
tative Lilley Referred to the
Committee on Rules.

A resolution has. been offered in the
House Of Representatives by Mr. Lilley
Of Connecticut providing for the appoint
ment by the Speaker Of a special COM
mittee Of five members to investigate the
conduct Of the Electric Boat Company
Of New Jersey and its predecessors. the
Holland Boat Company. respecting the
methods employed by the said companies
in connection with past and proposed leg
islation before Congress"
The resolution empowers the proposed
committee to compel attendance Of wit
nesses., administer oaths. etc. and re-
quires the findings Of the committee to
be reported to the House. The resolu-
ton was referred to the committee on
rules.
The proposal Of 4 congressional inves-
tigation is an outgrowth OF the refusal
OF the House committee on naval Affairs
to support President Roosevelt's naval
construction program. The President per-
soaally backed the Navy Department in
its request for authorization of the con-
struction Of four battleships. ten torpedo
boat destroyers, four submarines. etc. The
committee cut the battleships to two and
raised the submarines to eight. and in
connection with the latter craft adopted
the Loudenslag ger amendment. providing
that they should be Of the type OF the
Octopus. unless a superior type should be
offered and demonstrated by October I.
1905
Effect Of the Provision.
1t was at once pointed out by the friends
Representative Hobson Of Alabama. that
this provision practically delivered the
contract into the hands Of the Electric
Boat Company. builders Of the Octopus.
because eighteen months is the time re-
duired to build a submarine. and the time
limit Of October gave . period OF only
eight months to build competitor craft.
Another effect Of the adopted amendment
was to nullify the right gained by the
Secretary of the Navy in a court deci-
tests of Newport to consider the Lake
type of boat as an after-competition COM
petitor
The President sent for Representative
L1iiey and conferred with him about ma
val construction matters and the action
Of the House committee on naval affairs
Immediately after coming from the
White House Mr.. Lilley introduced his
resolution of Investigation. but when ask
Cd whether 1t had the Presidents sup
at the White House conference, he re-
fused absolutely to reply.
What Mr.. Lilley Says.
Enough has come under my personal
observation" he said. ITO convince me
that a thorough and searching investi-
CATION should be made Of methods that
have been employed to gain committee
support of the Octopus type OF subma-
-rine. The power Of the President, OF the
Secretary OF the Navy and of the naval
board has been usurped by privae manu-
facturers. The departments program has
been ignored. and in it's place they have
succeeded In inaugurating a program Of
their own.
1.-THE four battleships recommended by
the President were cut down to two by
the committee. The ammunition ship, the
scout cruisers and the mine-laying ves-
sells asked for by the department were
fleet Golfers were left for embodiment In
a special bill, which has not yet been
drawn. The plans of Secretary Metcalf
for improved submarines were voted
down, and In their place the committee
voted double the number asked for and
practically stipulated that they shall be
OF the Octopus type. The Octopus was
finished some months prior to the bat
tleship Vermont. which was completed a
SNo1 0Sos otiu 10 I@OW duIiAtteO 10 Dc OO~
soleseent-passing into desuetude as
fighting machine. resultant of vast Inn
provements which have been perfected
since her launching. A proposition now
to build ba ttleship on the out of-date
lines of the Vermont would be just as rea-
sonable and unsuspicionable as this arbi.
trary proposal to acquire eight more Oc-
topuscs.
"A thorough investigation. after the
manner OF the insurance investiga lions of
the Hughes type in New York. would pile
UP big benefit to the country. / favor
no particular style Of submarine craft
favor square deal. though, and my reso-
luton Of Investigation is aimed to secure
II