Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-03-12

partment, and that such efforts in the
past were SO persistent and notorious
as to call forth the condemnation
and criticism of high officials Of the
navy department. whose testimony
can be secured by the Investigating
| committee.
"That from 1898 up to the present
time these efforts of the Electric
Boat company and the Holland COM
pany have resulted In absolutely
| suppressing any possibility Of com
| petition in submarine construction,
and securing and awarding of all con-
| tracts, either by specific appropria-
ton or by legislative appropriation
skillfully drawn, to this company
| without possibility Of competition.
'That it can be shown by former
investigations before the naval COM
mittee of the house, upon which no
report was made to the house Of rep
resentatives, that the Holland Boat
| company and the Electric Boat COM
pany, have been engaged in reprehen-
sible efforts to influence members of
congress and officials Of the navy de-
partment In favor of their boats and
appropriations therefor.
'That it can be shown upon investi-
cation that certain representatives of
leading newspapers have been sub
sidized and paid by the Electric Boat
company for favorable newspaper ar
tlcles in behalf of said companies.
'If these things are not actually
without the pale of the law, they are
wrongful practices and tend to throw
dlscredit upon the congress Of the
United States.
II have taken it for granted that
if these things are not true full in
vestigation would be welcomed, not
only by every member of congress,
but by every member of the naval
committee, as well as by the officers
and agents of the Electric Boat COM
pany, in order that there might no
longer remain in the public mind the
idea that the Electric Boat company
had been unduly and improperly en-
deavoring to influence congressional
action.
II cannot be expected to have a
personal knowledge of all these trans
actions, which, If they exist, must
necessarily remain largely In the
secret possession of the officers and
agents of the Electric Boat company,
and of those with whom they have
conferred in the prosecution Of their
attempts to influence congressional
action"
Mr. Lilley repeated to the commit
tee, as confirmatory Of his suspicious
against the Electric Boat company
the incident related by him to tn,
committee on rules wherein an in
innate friend Of his, large manu-.
facturer in his home town, told hin
that he (the manufacturer had the
promise of a large order if hs
(Lilley) would vote for the sub
marines; and that a lawyer Of hi,
own city came to Washington anc
stayed with him and endeavored to
influence him in favor Of the Electric
Boat company.
II am prepared to give the commit
tee the name of this lawyer" said Mr.
Lilley, "and my statement can be
verified II you will call him as wit
ness. make the same offer with re.
gard to the manufacturer referred to
l can also give the committee the
name OF a manufacturer of Water
bury, Conn, who endeavored to Sc
cure from the Electric Boat compan!
an order to supply certain manufac-
tured products to that company, and
who was by the representatives OF
that company informed that the ord
er would be placed with him If hi
would secure my support OF the pro-
posed legislation in favor of the
Electric Boat company.
II also call the attention Of the
committee to the character of the
amendment proposed by Representa-
tive Laudenslager to the naval ap.
preparation bill which requires ir
specific terms that the secretary o
the navy shall award the entire pro,
posed appropriation for the construc.
tion of boats of the Octopus type
constructed by the Electric Boat com.
pany-unless prior to March /. 1908
some other boat should be presented
which in the opinion of the secretary
of the navy equals or excels the DC,
topus. Il is a fact known to all mer
that there is not at the present tins
in American waters and cannot bt
in the nature of things be presented
within the period of eighteen months
from the present time, competing
or rival boat to the boats of the
Electric Boat company.
Mr. Lilley said he had learned that
the Electric Boat company had en-.
ployed as its attorney W. d. Gordon
in the congressional district OF Re.
preventative Loud OF Michigan
where the company had or could
have had no possible business for an
attorney in the conduct Of fits legiti.
mate affairs and this attorney wPI
employed for the sole purpose Of en-
deavoring to secure favorable action
on the part of Representative Loud
for such legislation as the Electric
Boat company might desire.
Il am not charging" said Mr. LII
ley. "that Representative Loud wa,
Influenced BY these efforts. but an
charging that these efforts were an
improper attempt to influence the ac-
tIon Of a member Of congress.
Il state also that a man In the
service Of the Electric Boat company
approached a member Of the house OF
representatives. then a candidate TO-
membership OF the naval committee