The Washington herald., 1908-02-22

The House Committee on Rules took no
action yesterday upon the resolution in
troduced Thursday by Representative
LilIey. OF Connecticut asking for an In
vestigation Of the methods Of the Electric
Boat Company respecting legislation be-
fore Congress.
Mr.. Lilley did not appear 10 substantIate
the charges he has made that members Of
the House Committee on Naval Affairs
have been corrupted by the boat COM
pany.
II was said that he had not asked for
hearing but that the committee. Of
which Speaker Cannon is chairman. would
desire to hear him before taking any
action on his resolution. A member of
the Committee on Naval Affairs said that
he understood Mr.. Lilley had offered 10
withdraw his resolution and his charges.
VIII Not BE Intimidated.
Members Of the committee declare that
they have not been intimidated by the
Electric Boat Company. and that they
will not be by Mr.. Lilley. They demand.
now that he has made charges against
them, that he shall either make good his
statements or admit that he has made
misrepresentation. and to this end they
demand that the searchIght shall be
turned on.
Not only has he asserted in verbal
statement that members of the Naval
Committee have been corrupted by the
Electric Boat Company. but he has also
accused Representative Sherman. Of New
York, Of being in on the graft" Mr..
Sherman is chairman of the Republican
Congressional Committee. which Mr.. Lii
ley, although a Republican. charges with
having received contributions IRON the
submarine people. Mr. Sherman is also
a member Of the Committee on Rules.
He Accuses Griggs, Too.
Mr.. Lilley also makes similar charges.
none OF them in writing. however.
against Representative Griggs. whom
he accuses Of having Fixed" John
Sharp Williams and Representative De
Almond. Mr.. Lilley makes his charges of
corruption against thirteen OF his fellow
members of the committee. II is under
stood that he exonerates Chairman Foss.
Representative Padgett, Representative
Hobson. and himself. He has not named
the other two members, whom he holds
as guiltless.
Members of the Naval Committee de-
clare that the submarine provision was
practically in the language recommended
by the Secretary of the Navy. based upon
the report of the naval board which
made the submarine tests, and declared
unanimously in favor of the superiority
of the Octopus type. built by the Electric
Boat Company. They also assert that
they we're prompted to increase the num-
Der from four to eight by reason of a
confidential statement which Secretary
Metcalf made 30 the committee. and be-
cause OF the demand for torpedo craft
from the Pacific Coast.
Never Heard of Company.
Representative Ellis. a member of the
Naval Committee. said yesterday:
I never heard OF the Electric Boat
Company until Mr.. Lilley offered his reso-
luton, and ] know Of no intimidation or
influence which it has exerted upon legis
lation. l knew only that submarines were
recognized as s~Saluable weapon of naval
defense; that they had been tested bv a
board of experts whose opinion I ac-
cepted: that the department had asked FOR
them, and people OF my own section have
urged them Accordingly, I voted for the
provision Other members OF the COM
mittee made similar statements.
The company issued a statement In
Washington last night denying that any
influence had been used. and pointing out
that the committees action was IN line
with Secretary Metcalfs recommends
tions.
In part. the statement says: THAT A
great committee representing prominent
men OF both parties from all sections Of
the country should be within the grasp
and ownership OF a bodybuilding con-
cern, receiving occasional small orders
from the government Is 1udicrous. No
order for the building of a submarine
boat has ever been given by the Secre-
tary of the Navy that was not preceded
by full and free competition"