The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-12
SLIGHT RUMOR IS GREATLY MAGNIFIED Efforts Made to DiScredit
 American Enterprise LEWIS NIXON CONTRACT The Charge That Russian Grand Duke Practiced Graft In a Battleship
 Deal Is Proved To
 Be False. 
BY MALCOLM CLARKE.

Berlin, April 1.-The way in which the slightest rumor is magnifed to dis credit American enterprise and utilized to prevent Americans from selling in the European markets Is strikingly snown by the elaboration of a state lnent as to the furnishing of boats by an American for Russia. The paper in question seeks always to discredit the Russian bureaucracy, and in this case tried to give the impression that some Grand Duke had bought use- less boats from Lewis Nixon in order co cover the payment of a huge com mission to himself.
 But in this instance they have over reache ed themselves. Nixon was asked to build vessels when other bidders feared to meet the rigid requirements. He made his bid by cable, and while the difficulty, not to mention the dan ger of what he said he would do. would have brought dismay to the heart of ordinary men, he went ahead and built Boats in less time and of greater eff ficiency than any torpedo boats ever built.
 When he said he could do better than was asked, the admiralty said they feared he would have to cut down his material to such an extent as to make tie hulls weak.
 His answer to this was characteristic. "Tll send one across the Atlantic" So while gathering the material for the fleet he built one and sent her across tie Atlantic in mid-winter in 1905, one of the stormiest winters in many years.
 When the United States navy depart ment sent a fleet of destroyers of 12 times the displacement across the At : lantic they went over In the quietest time of the year, shortening the runs by going across from the West Indies and took a collier to convoy therl, coaling en route The Gregory went 1000 miles under her own power, and on arrival after lifting out some extra weights was put on an official trial and exceeded her requirements. Was there even such test? The writer has been told that there was not a leaky seam or butt to be found after her remarkable run.
 The time given after the arrival of material at Sevastopol was ionly six weeks for the first boat the rest to follow at intervals of one week.
 Angles twisted and distorted, plates bent, fittings injured, not a casting fitted to the hull, blocks to be ar ranged. men to be organized and 67 900 rivets to drive on each boat.
 Yet in five weeks and five days the first boat was launched, and in six weeks was out in the Black Sea. fully armed, running her trials, and the rest f,f ,sol,a a1 An English writer who called the his tory of this fleet an industrial epic" used an apt description.
 The boats had to make 20 knots. have 1000 miles endurance, carry a torpedo tube, 47 m. m. rapid fire gun, two automatic guns and 30-inch searchlight.
 They made on official trials well over 20 knots, showed POGO miles endurance and carried an extra automatic gun
 They were built in Russian navy yard, and every step in their construction was carefully watched by a large commission of Russian naval officers
 The boats, too, had to be able to stand transport by rail. All 10 were put on specially built cars and sent across the whole of Russia, from the Black sea to the Gulf of Finland. There they were again put into the water, and subjected to further inspection and trials by com mission of 12 officers headed by Admiral Nevinsky.
 The boats were the object of the great est interest Admiral Brlef, the minister of marine, went on trial trip. personally worked the engines and publicly expressed his satisfaction and congratulated MT. Nixon on the results of his work Admiral Avalan, who was minister of marine when the contract was signed. also went for run on vessel and said that the vessels far surpassed his expectations. They were laid up for the winter and in the sprlns were put in commission and used as d defense squadron for the Gulf of Finland. At the end of the season, after thorough trial, the following stdrament was pub lished in the Kronstaotshy West 1icF, rhe official organ of the Efonstadl arsenal:
 "September 6-19, 1906.
 'The experiments that have been made witl, the Baltic sea shore defense squad ron of patrol boats, on the word or the authorities, have shown that under the present state of motor construction these boats furnish excellent weapons against the enemy's sudden attacks upon points on the Baltis sea- The motors are run by gasolene, are of 20 knots speed, carry torpedo apparatus and guns and on this account can be termed harbor defense torpedo boats. The seaworthy qualities of the boats are good. On a straight course the wheel need not be touched
 Long after these boats were built and in commission for real service the Eng fish built a little motor torpedo launch, and the press of England and America were full of its performance, but an American can perform almost miracle in rapid construction against seemingly insurnountable obstacles, and the press or his own country gives credence only to attacks upon his work.
 Lewis Nixon has evidently not hesitated to contest the foreign market. The prod lcts of his factory and shipyard are all over the world, and last year he sent over $1O0, GOO worth of engines to Australia and New Zealand against English compe- tition aided by colonial determination Tn favor of the mother country
 As a matter of fact Nixon did not get several millions of roubles for the fleet as stated. but took them at price for which they could not be duplicated at the pres ent time.
 He has stated publicly that no Russian officer asked or was given commits sion.
 At the completion of the trials he was received by the Czar with honor rarely accorded even ambassadors, being taken rto Tsarskoe- -Selo on a special train, met by an imperial coach, lunched at the nalace and spent half an hour with the Emperor absolutely alone in his private office
 We know that the boats can stand the severest service from >the lesson of the Gregory, and the official report of their seasons cruise