The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-03-06

The Electric Boat Company have been
engaged in doubtful and reprehenslble
efforts 10 influence members OF CON
gress and officials of the Navy Depart
ment In favor OF their boats and apprO-
priations therefor
% That II can be- shown upon investi-
cation that certain representatives OF
LEADING newspapers have been SUD
sidized a.4,s faid by the Electric Boat
Company Tor favorable newspaper arr
icles and reports in behalf OF the SAID
companies.
1t mas never been held that. evidence
should be taken or submitted IN ao-
vance TO warrant Congressional inVesI-
CATION. Such "a procedure would ne IN
VestigatiOn per Sc by the ConnlttSS on
Rules. Su N an investigation silouio DC
only undertaken by a committee So
Cially appointed for that purpose 'tnG
before which committee witnesses could
be examined. books and recoros pro-
duced, and all testimony presented
e. If these things are not acLdaiIS
within the pale of the law, they are
wrongful practices and tend TO thro"
discredit upon the Congress OF the
United States.
Lawyer Employed.
In the last Congress a large manu-
faeturer from my town. an intimate
friend, a man who would probably have
as much influence with me as any man
in my. State, told me that he had tha
pl ornise of q large order If ] would vote
ter the submarine. At the same timo
there came down mere d lawyer in
politics who had been a member Of the
state committee and the town commit
tee where / lived; was them who prob
ably had as much TO do with my BENG
In Congress as any man. lie came mere
20 Washington and stayed with me, ana
he Was certainly employed by the EIeC-
trio Boat Company"
Worked for what?" asked Mr.. Sher-
man.
Mr.. LiIley replied: He was employed
by Mr.. Frost, vice president OF the Elec-
tTic Boat Company, who, he said, was
a. college classmate Of his, and that he
was a splendid fellow and wanted me
70 meet him. He told me about the OK
cellent qualities of Mr.. Frost, and urged
me 10 vote for his submarines
He first had tried by getting the
closet political influence to bear upon
me that he could, and then large
business enterprise that Employed thou
sands Of hands. The same thing nap
pened a very few days before the mo-
ton was made in our committee this
year on submarines. 4 new manuIac-
turer from the city or bridgeport
walked into my room over IN the new
building and told me that they were
practically closed down, that they never
needed an order so badly as they did
ROW that they had a promise OF an
Company If he would vote me right on
this proposition / said, w hat IS the
size of your OTder% He said, SZo,Ou0-
I asked him what the profit was TO
them. He said. About 5000 Now, j
said let me see If I understand you
correctly You are asking me TO vote
s., 500, 900 of other peoples money. or
which I am one OF the trustees. for the
sake OF giving you $4,000 order on
which YOU ere going 10 make S-,UJJ
rrodt Is that your proposition He
sat and looked at me few minutes,
aud then said he did not like 10 have
me put IL that way / repeated II 70
him. and I said, IF that IS your propo-
sition, ! would prefer 10 pay you the
5000 myself That ended that inter
Letter From Lawyer
"But an attorney came down here
and stayed three or four days-the
same One-apd the morning that he
went away he left a letter in my box
~ the New Willard containing a clip
ping from a Washington paper explain
ing that the department had sent four
submarines 10 Manila and expected 9TH
ers to follow, and urged on me the
necessity of voting for a liberal num-
her of submarines. I thought l had
that letter here. No, II is up home.
This Electric Boat Company has
been a stencil IN the nOstrils Of the
country for years, and, IN my opinion
81 has done more 10 corrupt Legislation
Than all the other corporations on
earth. / think the membership OF this
House is Of the very highest quality,
and that they are the best men, usually
from the districts from which they
come; but with a flock of Ss3 here, Il
would be strange IL there were not
some sheep in it that had the foot-rot
or sea bies. ! think the disease ought
TO be eradicated before ii spreads