The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-12-01
DANIELS OFFERS
ARMOR CHANGES
Secretary Of The Navy Recommends
That All War Material Should be
Manufactured by Government
TELLS OF SALE CONDITIONS
Brings Out Comparative Prices Paid
By This County And Other Ma
lions for Armor Made Here

By Congressman Clyde H. Tayenner.
Washington, Dec. 1-"Armor,
guns, and powder should be made by
the government
This sub-head in the annual re-
port Of the Secretary Of the Navy is
a tremendous testimony to Josephus
Daniels and the present adniinistra-
ton of the Navy Department.
These words mean that the Navy
Department of the United States
Government is no longer dominated
by ring Of private manufacturers
that for years has been outrag eous-
ly overcharging the government for
Army and Navy supplies. Josephus
Daniels has shown himself biz
enough and cOura geOus enough and
patriotic enough to serve notice on
the ring that they shall not, while
he is Secretary Of the Navy, have
The time has come" declares Sec:
rotary Daniels in his report just,
made public, when the Department
should be freed from excessive prices
charged by private manufacturers Of
armor- plate, guns and Gun-forglngs.
powder, torpedOes, and other sap
demonstrated that the department
could save money by making its pow
der, guns and torpedces. also
recommend the construction OF q
government armor plant to relieve
the situation, which in my estima
ton, is intolerable and total vari-
ance with the principle Of economy
in spending government money. o,
1t is evident that without an ar
NOR plant Of it's own the government
in time of war or impending war
would be entirely at the mercy Of
three manufacturers and obliged to
pay practically whatever price they
asked. History does not warrant an
assumption that the patriotism of
these companies would prove super
ior to their desire for profits, mas
much as during the time that war
with Spain was imminent, these COM
panies refused to accept the price
fixed by Congress after investiga-
tion as just rate and declined to
manufacture any armOr until they
got their own price of 800 a ton
more than that which Congress had
determined on. In this connection
it is we'll to note that the love Of
country possessed by these companies
did not prevent them from furnish
ing armor to Russia, as reported to
Congress, in 1894 at $249 a ton,
while they were charging the United
States S616.14 ton upon purchases
under the contract of March, 1898,
nor did it hinder them from furni-
ishing armOr to Italy in 1911 at
$395.03 a ton, while they were
charging their own government 1920
ton, and that even at the present
day, according to information that
seems reliable, they are furnishing
the armor for the Haruna, now being
built by the KaWasaki Co. at Kobe
for Japan, at S406.35 a ton as
against the price, ranging from $504
to $40 a ton, which they are now
charging us for the armor of battle
ship No. 80.
"Under the present system our i'm
provements become the property of
all the world, and can. be obtained
by anybody who cares to buy them
Even now the improvements in ar
NOR and the designs worked out by
the Navy have been embodied in the
warship of another nation built BY
the Bethlehem Steel Co. and recently
put into commission. This is not an
argument lightly to be disregarded
in favor of a government armol
plant, nor has it been overlooked, fOl
instance, by Japan, which has erect
ed it's own armor-making plant an6
surrounded it with such secrecy thai
none Of the other nations are able &c
tell whether or not at this minute
the Japanese armor may not be sup.
erior to any other in existence.
THE Government can achieve {
saving by the erection of 10000.
ton-a-year plant of $1,061,360 pei
annum after deducting 4 per cent az
interest on the money used in cree
ton and installation of plant, ant
S3,O4S,462, a year on the basis of {
government plant capable of produc
ing 10000 tons a year"
Sioux Falls, S. D., Dec. IA fl
of sneezing seized Mrs. J. NJ. Dunn