The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-08
Sensational Statements Are Made 9 Newspaper Man In the
 LiIg Investigation
BOUTELL PRODS WITNESS
 CONCERNING HIS ACTS
Navy Department Is Subject of Investi- gation Instead of Electric Boat
 Company, While Writer Is d.
 Chilled By Committee. Ns

Washington, April 1.-The navy de- partment, and not the Electric Boat con- pany was virtually under investigation today by the special House committee in- curing into charges preferred against that company by Representative Lilley. The question as to whether the company had used illegitimate means to promote legislation in it's favor was forgotten in the admissions made by the witness to the effect that he had secured extracts of reports made to the navy department supposed to be confidential.
 The witness was Robert Skerrett of New York, formerly employed in the navy department and at one time the European representative of the Lake Tor pedo Boat company. He stated frankly that while in the employ of the Lake company he received anonymous extracts from reports made to the navy depart ment and that he used these extracts in the technical articles prepared for publication in magazines. Questioned as to the source, he replied that he did not know from whom they came and that he had accepted them as correct and used them in his articles.
 The climax of MT. Skerrett's testimony came when he was asked by Chairman Boutell if he did not consider that his action in publishing information which the United States government regarded as secret was highly dishonorable." his reply was:
 No; I think 1t was indiscreet."
 1t is the evident intention of the com +<. fnIlO TlnT hi dence and If possible discover the leak in the navy department
 It is doubtful if a witness before a congressional committee ever was put through more searching examination than MT. Skerrett.
 Report Referred To.
 The first report to which reference was made was one prepared by Lieutenant Nelson, U. $. N, who conducted a series of trials of the Holland boat at Narragan- sett in 1904 While abroad MT. Sherrett wrote an article on submarines in which he quoted from Lieutenant Nelson's re- port
 "Where did you get that report?" asked MT Stephens.
 q do not remember. Before left Washington went to my friends in the navy department and said to them:
 " If there is anything you can give out, at any time, of interest, send it along They knew that was writing on naval topics"
 MT. skerrett said that from time to time, while he was in Berlin, he received typewritten extracts from various naval reports. These extracts came to him in plain envelopes and there was no writing on them to indicate who had sent them. He had no idea from whom they had come. They were forwarded to him from Washington through the office of the alo RridpenOrt.
 An article the witness had written con- corning certain details of the Holland boat was newt taken up. MT. L1tueton, through the committee pressed the Wit ness as to where he got his informa- ton. Mir Skerrett said 1t had been given by a foreign officer. Pressed by MT. Stephens to give the name of this official, MT. Skerrett said that his memory was faulty and stating that he had met him in London. As matter of fact, he had received the information while conversing with naval officials at The Hague. He said that he was there in the interest of the Lake Boat company and while discussing submarines with the general instructor of the Dutch navy, whose name he did not remmber,. and with Lieuten- ant Commander Boudoin and Lieutenant Keister, the information was divulged. Chairman Boutell propounded to the wit ness the following questions, prefacing them Wllll tut
 BouteIPs Questions.
 "On behalf of the committee I wish to ask you these questions, and suggest that you answer them with great care:
 You have testified to receiving ex- tracts from unpublished reports on file in the navy department forwarded to you from Washington by way of the Lake Boat companys offices in Bridgeport ill envelopes.@addressed at Washington in type and at Bridgeport by Lake com pany clerk, with no indication of their origin, while you were in Europe and known by all of your acquaintances to be. in the employ of the Lake Torpedo Boat scompany. This evidence discloses a most serious condition under which un- published information of undoubted accu- racy has found its way from the files of the navy department into the possession of an employe of a submarine boat com- pany while endeavoring to present the merits of the boats manufactured by that company to foreign governments and you used the information so received in pub lished, technical articles without verify ing it or asking the consent of the navy department for using it. If you did not know that they came from the navy de- pertinent why did you not write to the de- partment and verify them?'
 Ut never occurred to me-
 If you knew they came from the de- partment why did you not ask permission to use them?'
 'I did not know they came from the department"
 Upon careful reflection do you not now think your conduct was highly dishonor- able?'
 No: think it was indiscreet"
 Isn't it your duty as an American to help the government preserve as con ndential whatever the government wishes to have so considered?" .'If knew 1t was such yes. sir
 .Is not any other attitude highly dis honorable and disloyal?''
 'n . person acted with a full knowl-