The morning journal-courier., 1908-02-22
CANNON CONSIDERS LILLEY'S CHARGES House Will Probe Alleged Sub marine Scandal When the
 Rules Committee
 Approves.
LILLEY MUST SHOW THEM
Recent Voting of Double the Num- Der of Boats Sought by Prcsi- dent Actuated the
 Inquiry.

Washington, Feb. 2.-Representative Lilley of Connecticut, whose introduc- tion of a resolution calling for an in vestigation of methods said to have Leen employed by the Electric Boat company in endeavoring to have its submarine boats chosen by the house committee on naval affairs, is to be called before the committee on rules, to which the resolutions was refer red Speaker Cannon is chairman of that committee. The other members are Representatives DalZell of Pennsyl- vania, Sherman of New York, John Sharp Williams of Mississippi and De- Armond of Missouri. It is unofiiclally understood that if Representative Lil- ley can show the committee on rules that there is substantial ground for his charges, his resolution of investigation will be fayorably reported to the house.
 Chairman Foss of the committee on naval affairs, was unwilling to-day to make a formal statement for publica- ton with regard to Representative Lilley's resolution and the charges back of it. Mir. Foss preferred not to take official notice of the affair because 1t is now in the hands of the committee on rules, But personally ne thought a that q full investigation ought to be made, provided MT. Lilley "could show that he has tie hard ground of facts under his feet"
 MT. Foss has been on record for years as an uncompromising opponent of the submarine torpedo boat as a fighting craft.
 An examination of the charge that a conspiracy existed among certain members oe the naval committee to turn down President Roosevelt's na- val construction programme" shows that a majority of the committee eX- pressed themselves at the meeting on Feb. 10 as strongly in favor of autho- rizing the four battleships asked for by the president, but that they adopted the view of Chairman Foss that to re- port such recommendation would merely causa the committee to be re- versed on the floor of the House. They therefore voted to recommend two hat tleships, the limit of authorization which course would be supported by the House in the opinion of the chair man, who had consulted house leaders. Only five members of the committee Lillcy, of Connecticut, Thomas of Ohio, Meyer, of Louisiana, Talbot of Maryland and Hobson. of Alabama voted in favor of four battleships.
 The vote to authorize eight submar- ines, instead of the four asked for by the department and the president, was ten to seven, the yeas being Loudens- lager of New Jersey, Butler of Penn ,sylvania, Roberts of Massachusetts Loud of Michigan. Bates of Pennsyl- vania,t Thomas of Ohio. Dawson of Iowa, Ellis of oregon, Gregg of Texas and Talbot of Maryland The noes were Foss of Illinois Mudd of Mary land, Lillcy of Connecticut Olcott of New York, Badgett of Tennessee, Lamar of Missouri and Hobson of Ala bama.
 The committee declined to-day tc give the name of the member on whose motion the authorization was doubled
 Mir Loudenslager, author of the com mlttee amendment, making. 1t obliga- tory upon the navy department to pur. chase eight submarines of the Octopus type unless a superior submarine should be obtained by October i, 1908 refused to discuss the LiIley resolution or to reply publicly to Mir. Lilley's charge that this amendment was in ef' feet delivery of the prospective con tract into the hands of the ElectriS Boat company.
 The resolution of investigation was to-day, as yesterday, a chief topic oi discussion in the lobby and cloak room: of the capitol. None of the represen' tatives was willing to talk for publica ton. but many of them speculated pri vately on the likelihood of an investi gation being ordered and on its results That representatives of the Electric Boat company have been lavish enter tainers' in Washington appeared to bt