The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-03-02
ADMIT GIVING
NAVY SECRETS
President Taft and Secretary Meyer
Claim Justification for Trading
Plans To Argentine.
BY gibson GARDNER.

BY gibson GARDNER.
WASHINGTON, March 2.-The
administration Is preparing to admit
the charge that naval secrets have
been traded to the Argentine republic
In exchange for contracts for Charles
NJ. Schwabs Bethlehem steel works.
With the admission will come an
attempt to justify what has been
done.
The justification takes these
forms:
"a 1t was an even exchange; the
United States receives from the Ar
gentine its naval secrets.
(2) The work gives good prac-
tice for American shipbuilding yards.
(3) There Is nothing very I'M
portant about the secrets OF the Amer
lean navy.
(4 The arrangement tends to
bring about friendly. relations with .
South American country.
(5) Criticism Of the administra-
tion Is inspired by q few feather
Drained, irresponsible people who
should not be noticed.
Under the above heads are grouped
the answers made by the secretary
Of the navy. George Won Z. 4eysn
Eand BY secfefAsy FhiiAnder @. Hncx,
TO the resolutions offered In the SEN
ate by Senator LaFollette. The
formal answer Is expected within
few days.
"I can't believe" said Senator La
Toilette, that an effort will be made
to justify the giving away OF our
naval secrets. However, shall with
hold comment until the formal answer
comes to the senate"
That President Taft and Secretary
Knox should admit the truth or this
charge has caused a greater sensa-
ton, IL possible, than the publication
OF the charge itself. Friends OF the
men were at first unanimous In say
ing that the accusation could not pos
sibly be true, and that this must be
the work of some irresponsible per-
SON not prepared to verify the accus-
ations. It was beyond their power
Of comprehension that Secretary
Knox or President Taft should rat
ten a contract for the Bethlehem
Steel Co. by contributing. not only
the blueprints and specifications and
plans of our latest battleships, but
even such secret information as the
plans of the submerged torpedo tube.
and the devices which have to do
with the accuracy Of aim-the social
cd "flre control"
President Taft at first denied the
latter accusation. To correspondents
gathered ut the White House the pres
ident said:
"The story is not true. II is the
work of n feather-brained correspond
ent. The navy department has not
turned over secret information OF any
value. The things which have been
turned over to the Argentine Repub-
lie are matters which are not really
secret anyhow, and which, by helping
them, will promote good relations be-
tween our country and the other"
Mr.. Taft went on to say that the
United States had done nothing unus-
ual. in fact nothing more than Great
Britain had done for japan (omitting
to state to the correspondents that
Great Britain and japan are In an al
lance for defensive and offensive pur-
poses).
After the passage Of the LaFollette
resolution, Secretary Meyer told the
newspaper correspondents that the
answer to the resolutions would not
DENY the revelation Of naval secrets
to Argentine, but would show how the
trade was equally beneficial to our
navy. The secretary said that Amer.
lean naval officers would be permitted
to have the run OF the navy yards
where the Argentine vessels are be-
ing built, and would also be permit
ted to know all the secrets OF the Ar
gentine navy.
The answer to the administrator
effort at justification will be found In
N recommendation by the general
board OF the navy, coming through
the war college, which is on file In the
departments papers. This recon-
mendation, which was indorsed and
put into effect by. President Roose-
Welt, excluded from our warships all
foreign officers.
The step was taken following the
discovery that young men who were
sent by South American countries TO
the Annapolis naval academy and sub
scouently were permitted to serve
aboard our warships had sold Sifor-
nation to foreign powers. Conse-
auently orders were issued making
more strict even the regulations ap-
plying to foreign visitors coming
aboard. the warships for social pur'
poses.
The practice of admitting South
American students to the naval acade