The Washington times., 1909-03-30
STIRS UP
NAVAL CIRCLES
Secretary Meyer Wants to
hnow Why Nelson Report
Was Held Back.


on loot an inquiry to learn the merit
OF the charges OF wastaruI avtra,,a- =
Sance in the ordnance departp,ept ana
why the report Of s. T. Nelson. y
''o'Eo engineer. containing the
charges prepared at the request or
secretary Of the Navy Paul Morton IN
way EV'' has been pigeonhoIed for
ioUI years The report saw the light
- udy Tor the first time yesterday ex-
o'.SiHe'y IN The Washington Times.
AIthouSh Rear Admiral Mason CHIEF
u 'hs bureau under criticism, admitted
quay 1hat ne often felt that the Gov
lliiiieilI paid more for certain ordnance
"O'h than should have been charged.
uecIlhed TO discuss the Nelson re-
Poi'- among officials Of the Navy De-
''.il'eht generally. however. the dis
No.-'i'H Is 10 treat the report lightly
ME admitting that on its face.
"iHoul official explanation from some
me IN authority, it would appear that
nv OTuhance Bureau had been at Sc
iouS iauIt' officers Of that department
uecI'red they had no reason to fear
an investigation i2to the reasons why
~ Nelson's report, made at the sug-
Sestion Of Secretary Morton and ap-|
Pafently with the irea OF serving a
PUBIC interest. had been ignored and
permitted TO lie unheeded through the
auhllnlstrations of three successive Sec
retaries of the Navy.
The Bureaus Answer.
Inc answer IS this. according to one
OF these ordnance officers who was
serving in the Navy Department when
'Ht nelson report was completed and !
submitted 10 Secretary Morton. and
VINO was acquainted with its contents.
Inc report showed an utter lack of /
hhoWIedge OF the principles on which |
lhe ordnance Bureau bases all its worJ, /
and therefore was OF no practical |
value"
,Ihis officer, who asked that his iden- /
uty not be disclosed because of the
liohclad rule in the navy against Of /
hcerS discussing official matters for
publication. explained thar Thn Na1eon
CudI yes correSpOnded in effect t0 those /
mace by the artist Reuterdahl con-
StLhihg the alleged deficiencies Of the
DdJI! eSnlp fleet that made the recent
world-r0und cruise. with the difTerence
mat up 10 this time the Nelson report
mas Deen unknown except To a few
oIncerS IN the department
Relative 10 Mr.. Nelson's charge thar
tHe prices paid 10 private concerns bv
SHe government naval gun factories -or. /
llIggs doIrglngs were fearful high" this officer
---NN-A AlldA lntSe private firms 4
prices that would seem high To tbe Ia
II,5 ,Ieu' DuL which were no higher than
was justified under the circumstances,
Firms Are Indifferent.
IN the first place." ne said. "the
hrms that do most OF the Governments
ordnance work, the Midvale and Beth
iehem steel companies. are more fre-
lueHliy than otherwise pressed bv the
navy Department to submit bids. The
'dct IS tnat these companies do this Z
work merely as a side line. ana IN most
-aseS Goh care whether tney get n or
10 ot,, Iney are compelled 10 install GER E;
am special machinery which is -
'sHSIEe, and which, unless the, oct r,,ora
u the same kind Of work is NOT aI-ajl
iDle iI-t Tor other purposes. The cost of ]
ms machinery has to he added fDrD ~ (
cost OF the work turned ont go ne ne ,
government If the Government .o1-i5
5udrantee these firms a certain srno,1rt ]
-Brn ~ 80 rti d q period OF years they could
Urn II out far cheaper.
AS TO these firms heinz o., .or,. ,
= I iiiiN tlIe Government. I think thar Z
: al tonlInyrot- They keep close tan ,
.Tnr,aT+ ,dIS same work costs the Gov ,
: --IiIIenI, ana adjust their bids accord- !
.tSIS, put as 20 their agreeing on q -
an prlce that is absolutely ref,fe,t r.
ne dInerence in their bids ~
Changes Are Necessary.
As 10 Mr.. Nelson's charge thar the a
Bureau, in altering nIans and
.ondemning designs Of ordnance afte- p
ne work has progressed to consider I
.Ole extent Is responsible for laroa '
inancial waste, this same office, noin1, l
ul thaI only such changes in nIang :
,-eI ug1-H5H @ absolutely necessary are
~ mace. me desire Of the Navv NJ -
ar lment to reach the highest TossiJI. /
eIILe1I4Oh IN the manufacture ~ tic
= : a uiia nee ne explains. is the reason Fo- -
60, 'StoLS StitH Delns made when they ap- =,
IN this connection, Mr. Nelson, sna- n
ny SHdrSe Is that every change ir a
eSISu hecessitates the making of nev- :,
sI,,as 'cns; anu gauges which in them
- - - roaI d large sum or money. The d
u Iuhdhce department, or vhoe,-e- ie q
79pOhSlDle for starting orders rbrn,eL a
= - - - LOT Such a tremendous amount -
work before IL IS thoroughly decided
idL Ihe design is going to ne saris-
iclOry ought 10 De called anon for . II
-iitb accounting for such au art Tho / n
mount OF work wasted bv condemn. d
iE lhe designs after WORK has been &
aII4s completed must have run into / ~
tremendous amount Of money"
Criticism III Advised.
such criticism as this is NOT made =
iVisedly, according 10 the ordnance n
.ucer already quoted. He adds as
W ME the Ordnance Bureau has Al 81
avs discouraged unnecessary aItera- | C,
''' - pans anu designs Vet IL is =
lpoSslole not to make them AT times ! 8,
ne manufacture of ordnance is "a Dro-
-eSslVe game just as the construction
DattleshipS is. The evolution of the
avail gun requires constant changes "a
keep II from becoming obsolete. or -
'ers frequently submit plans for the "
lprOVement OF some piece Of ordnance M
ter the plans have been prepared I 10
hen examination proves these LATER slI
signs superior 10 the original ones il
ould be folly to ignore them. "
Rear Admiral Mason. sclief Of no Ie
lreau Of Ordnance, was questioned re s..
riding the intentions of the d.DaI-- ha
eut toward the Nelson report. but to
yond admitting that he often feIf IN
at the Government paid more for Ger 81
I'm ordnance work than should have pr
en- charged. he declined TO discuss lis be
erlts- The opinion prevails in the de- M
rtmcnt, however, that Secretary Nor
ms course In putting aside the re on
MT was because after his inouisi+or M
I'd made IL he realized that its recon- 81
epdatiOns, If adopted, would serve no vi
actlcal purpose. mt
In the Nelson report numerous IN its
aHces are cited where the cost OF en-
ms made by private concerns Il
caty in excess OF similar ones con- WI
-ucted at the Government gun shoDs be
le costly experiments are also crit- su
;ed. The report saws.