The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-04-03
EXPECTS Adverse DECISION.
FROM COMMITTEE lNvEsTi-
eating CHARGES.
-
ASSERTS A WITNESS
House Committee Investigating Char.
ses in Submarine Boat Manufacture
IL Told that Representative Liney
intends to Air His Charges In Con-
gress.

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Washington, April Franklin A.
Taylor. Of Waterbury Conn, today
testified before the special house COM
mittee investigating the charges
against the Electric Boat company
that he had heard George l.. Lilley,
author Of the charges, make the state
ment In the Waterbury club last Sat
urday that It was quite likely he
would get an adverse decision from
the committee and in that event he
would tell all he knew about the
whole matter Of submarine boats on
the floor Of the house.
Elihu B. Frost vice president Of the.
Electric Boat company, referring to
the time President Roosevelt made a
submerged trip in n Of the submar-
inc boats denied that the, company
had any paid newspaper men at the
trial and said he did not know who.
was responsible for the publications
concerning that event. The boat was
commanded by Lieutenant Nelson
and MI. Frost testified that the com
pany had purchased from Lieutenant
Nelson an invention which is used on,
the boat. The company paid him.
$1,000 for the invention. This was
the only paid amount any naval off,
Q by him or his company. Mr..
Frost said that no member Of CON
gress or naval official owned any
stock, in the company.
Representative Kahn California;
whose name was mentioned by MI.
Frost as the member Of the house
naval affairs committee with whom
Attorney McNear had had an inter
view, made a statement at the close
Of Mr.. Frosths testimony. He said.
that at Mr.. McNear's suggestion, he
introduced a bill providing for a NUM-
Der Of submarines for the Pacific
coast. He said that Mr.. McNear had
not mentioned the name OF the COM
pany he was connected with, he
(Kahn) did not know what company
It was. Z
Taylor First Witness.
+. R. Taylor, Of Waterbury, Conn.,,
vice president Of the Randolph-Clow
company, manufacturers Of brass and
copper, was the first witness called
today by the house committee that is
investigating the charges against the
Electric Boat company. He said he
had told Representative Lillsy to yote
Ton submarine boats % there was !
possibility Of his company getting
5 NJ business ifthe boats were ~
lie I'd,
what was Mr. Lilley's reply?"
HE would not commit himself one
way or the other"
Mr.. Taylor said that he never lost
an opportunity to impress upon Mr..
Lilley that he ought to vote for sub
marine boats and that ne lad shaken
his fist at Mr.. Lilley several times,
but always In a jocular manner. He
did not intimate to him that he had
gone to him at the instigation Of the
Electric Boat company.
The Electric Boat company, he said,
had v promised him "a cent for
the work. Mr.. Taylor said he had
stated to the Associated Press repre-
sentative in Waterbury that he
thought he had Influenced MI. Lilley
to vote for submarine boats. He as
sumed this. he said, because when
Mr.. Ldilley came to Waterbury he
said:
Mr.. Lllley Voted Yes.
II voted yes. frankly. with your
face before me when I voted"
This referred to the naval appro-
priation bill Of 1906 and 1907.
The witness said he did not consi-
der that he had done anything i'm.
proper in asking Mr.. Lilley to vote
for submarines.
Mr.. Taylor said that he had been re
quested by John P. Kellogg, one OF
the attorneys for the Electric Boat
company in January 1908, "to get
busy with Mr.. Lilley and again tell
him about the possibility Of submar.
ines"
Elihu B. Frost, vice president Of the
II ectric Boat. EN-; any. follow-i AZ.
Taylor. He said he had the general
management Of the business. John
P. Kellogg. he said was employed for
the purpose Of counteracting III Con
necticut alleged Misrepresentation
that raj being made in that state
about the Electric Boat company.
Sort Of an Ananias antidote?" sug.
gested Nj. Howard.
Yes replied the witness.
MT. Frost denied that he had made
cost1 buttons in s.talf Of hi. CON