The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-03-13
LAKE BELIEVES ENOS LETTERS
 ARE MISJUDCED Politics" Mentioned Refer red to Congressman, Not a
 Democrat, He Says INVENTOR ASSIGNS
 CAUSE FOR DELAY Says Congressman Donovan Has Been "Wronged" By
 Misinfo

Below will be found "a statement sent to The Farmer today by Simon Lake, the local inventor of submarine boats, in which MT. Lake offers his view of the situation with respect to the past troubles of the Lake Torpedo Boat Co. which were so graphically described in recent issue Of this newspaper. when correspondence pass ing between Congressman Jeremiah Donovan and Fred Enos, president of the Board Of Trade, was published in detail. MT. Lakes statement follows:.
 Something or somebody has given our congressman an erroneous impress sion that there was party politics in the February 24 letter of the president Of the Board of Trade to him. The reference to political opposition was to an individual politician who is not a Democrat.
 This politician was naturally work ing for a. shipyard in his locality which builds our competitoris craft. He was building up a public record against our craft and did not ask the same questions about all types. E sI suggested that an inquiry be made along Identical lines about all craft and feared no odious comparf- son. This was pure business and no. politics was involved beyond the fact that the politician represented hon OrdOiy .Iue 1utc1cSt Ol pSOplS III HIS district.
 .-Tle president of the Board of Trade had absolutely no ulterior polftf- cal motive in his letter which simply repeated in substance what I had trutnfullys told him without the least idea of politics in my mind. am an independent and an inventor and fmy presfdeat and my treasurer axa Democrats We. never had politics in mind incur business dealings T conducted all negotiations with out siders and never observed any politics in the mind of anybody. Our affairs were treated strictly according to the contracts, law and physical facts in- volved.
 Our congressman has unconscious l ly Wronged himself and myself by forming erroneous impressions upon partial information about our delays which were never explained to him as to technical reasons.
 sI am causing him to know all the truth and believe he will be with us heart and soul, in building up big shipbuilding industry in the sIndue- trial Capital of Connecticut
 sThe CT was delayed by engine troubles that are universal in every navy in the world.
 eTFfe .G2' in bad weather ran ashore by repairs which the insurance conn pany paid for as an act of God and not misnanagement
 The Board Of Trade held a public meeting and appointed a, representa- tive and large committee which in- c1uded a representative from each newspaper The committee went into all our affairs in great detail
 The committee recommended that Bridgeport do everything within it's power to keep the Lake shipyard at Bridgeport and recommended our se- l.T7 frA H... . $400, 900 in property to mortgage on a l first mortgage. We found ourselves l una ble to dispose of first mortgage notes until the currency bills passage eased up the previous tight money market which had been dominated by much against the administration which 1t wanted to rule at that time. It was pure business-not politics. | 'eWe built the CT at our own risk and upon our own money to break down a submarine monopoly in which the great world wide English ship building trust is interested Tn off, cia1 trials the sG1' broke and hold. the worlds record as the largest, fast est, and most highly armed ombina- I tion of submarine devices and as a re- suit, believe, the naval officers in the l know want our type of submarines | Secretary Daniels insists upon com petition and believe he will be able to get a lot of 1t from a Bridgeport lshfpyard. We have licensed a navy
 yard to build one of our craft under Iour plans and patents and are ready to license any other navy yard o1 dependable shipbufIder upon like terms l We are against a submarine naonop- oIy in any. form and will work with I the Secretary in his laudable and money saving efforts to maintain free m sen and unrestricted competition
 hich is what the Lake people want
 and all that they want, and intend tc
 do their best at all times to get
 SIMON LAKE.'s