The morning journal-courier., 1908-04-18
lnstigator of Submarine
Probe Withstands Severe
Cross-examination
on Stand
STANDS BY HIS CHARGES
Refuses to be Forced to Admit
That Secretary of Navy
Was Duped by Elec-
trio Boat Com
pany.

Washington, April 7.-Representa-
tive George L. Lilley. of Connecticut,
under whose resolution a special COM
mlttee of the house has been in
vestigatlng the Electric Boat company
reiterated his charges today before
the committee that the company has
amade excessive profits on the con-
tracts 1t has obtained from the United
States government, and the most
arigld cross examination by members
@pf the COMMITTEES, assisted by Mar
lin Littleton attorney for the Elec-
\ ric company failed to make him re-
/. ract Mr.. Howard. Mr.. Stevens and
\ Mr.. Olmstead questioned him relen-
IN lessly, the latter two especially try
ng to have the author of the charges
<ildmit that the secretaries and other
tipfficials of the navy department We're
Il sncompetents and that they were
.Hluped In entering into contracts with
;&he Electric company.
III Mr. Stevens devoted more than an
8Pour to remarkably earnest effort
40 have Mr.. Llley charge the sccre-
Fgary of the navy and his predecessors
s4yithin the last six or seven years, the
},hiefs of the navy bureaus and naval
I; fficials generally who have charge
y If the construction of war vessels and
,dlhe letting of warship contracts with
81 gross ignorance, deficiency and in
N Competence" In that they we're res
4 onsible for the awarding of contracts
Sfp the Electric Boat company which
q cited that concern, alleged more
II han $1,00O,000 Of excessive profits at
81 ne governments cost.
n, Mr.. Lilley steadfastly refused to ia
|r 1er such charge. He maintained
~ hat on the contrary, he believed these
Zen were highly competent lin their
tne and so far as their information
married them but he insisted that
fley were not good business men, that
NE poor bargains they made proved
Dbhat, and that to none others than
Wtsli'ewd, able business men, should be
~ 8thtrusted the letting of government
Qopntracts.
81 An attempt by Mr.. Stevens to have
zlr. Lilley testify that It was upon
t'Ae shoulders of the President that
3e responsibility for the alleged in
4. i.2mpetency of navy officials should
X& placed, elected the reply that the
(t{plicy which has brought into office
1Xe secretaries of the navy in as
a any years, Is a poor policy
~ IN the course Of his testimony re-
1S1 tive to possible influence having to
ltfl with the awarding of contracts to
Ie Electric Boat company Mr.. Llley
LID he had reason to know there
y Iis been a good deal of nervousness
the executive offices and the navy
pd war departments" and that this
May have persuaded the government
ticials that they should procure
4 bmarines at any cost"
Mr.. Lilley assured the committee
at no person connected with the
lke company in any way whatever
II n er had the slightest hint from hin,
at he Intended to Introduce his
solution. After the resolution was
troduced, he said, he thought II
sA} ould assist the committee If he got
|s formation from every obtainable
urce and he welcomed any sugges.
,g ons from Mr.. Neff or Mr.. Thurston
In reply to question by Mr. How.
d as to how much information Mr.
& Hey possessed at the time ht
ought his charges, and how mucl
ditional information he expected a
q at time to get from the Lake Boa
mpany to prove them, Mr. Lillel
Z piled: Il did not expect to get any
ing at the time from the LAKE
VI pat company. ] thought had SUN
mt evidence or could procure sum
4 INT evidence myself to substantial,
1 II. ese charges"
Mr. Howard-At the very outset tn,
ass argos themselves were drawn b,
attorney for the Lake Boat com
/ N n ny?
Mr. Lillcy--A great many of tn,
q! arges were suggested by me. Sena
f% Thurston put them into shape
Regarding tho production of tht
oks of the Electric compan5, Mr.
ley said he thought they woult
pw that a very large sum If mcno-
vgHH d been expended by this ,)mpa ny
Dme such fund as the yellow cog
2 Nd developed during the irslranc,
estigation in New York
ar Lilley contended that II the wit
sses had been called in the or ie
omitted by him they wuul not hay
! knowledge in advance cf h,s in
NATION and 1t might have been pos
~ 10 to bring out something from iii
n GERS of the Electric BDAt company.
You mean by that - sar that III
timony that has been delivered ha
n false testimony as&cl Mr. How
l.
do not mean to say anything abou
q think they had the han2a to- Gu
-ir cloth according to ny knowledge
SxSs You think that tho methods Of til