Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-10-23


ammunition ring. 1 do not believe he
ever will (Applause.)
/ Just wanted to say one thing more
in connection with General Crozier
This patent that General Crozier sold
To the Bethlehem Steel company was
perfected by him with the use of hun
dreds OF thousands of dollars of the
peoples money. After this gun car
rage was perfected with the Amerf
can peoples money. General Crozier
and his predecessor as chief of ord
nance sold the patent to the Bethle.
hem Steel company for $4,000, and
went into an agreement with that
company by which they were to re
ceive royalties on all of these gun car.
riages that should be sold to foreign
nations until khe amount of these roy
alties should reach $4,000. AS soon
as that contract was made, the Beth
: lehem Steel company sent their agents
throughout Europe to sell those gun
I carriages to the different govern.
ments- They were tested by the Euro
pean governments, and my informa-
ton is that every one of the foreign
governments refused to buy these gun
{ carriages.
They said IT was not practical But
7 in the meantime the chief of ordnance.
one of those who was in the contract
with the Bethlehem Steel company.
procured for this country, $4,000, 900
worth of these gun carriages which
the other nations said we're not prac-
4fnaT annnrdFrer -, int
l have. The point make is that:
submit that if these patents are de-
veloped by the expenditure OF the
American peoples money. they should
not be even offered to foreign couu-
tries What would result if We should
get into war with these foreign ma
tions which might purchase the gun
carriages2 American sailors and sol
diers would be repul5ed with lighting
machinery that had been perfected by
the expenditure of the American tax
payers money. Those weapons would
be used b. foreigners TO shoot down
our own soldiers and sailors. l say,
man who is paid a salary TO protect
the citizens OF this country should not
use the money that we appropriate
for experimentation and then person
ally take out a patent as the result of
OF these experiments and offer it for
sale to foreign countries to be used
against our own men in the event OF
war.
MR.. HAY. But the gentleman ought
to be fair, and he knows that General
CroIier gives reasons why he thinks
some of this ammunition ought to be
purchased.
Mr.. TAVENNER- General Crozier
has given several excuses. and they
do not amount to the snap Of my fin.
gers. The main thing he wants TO do
is to give these contracts to the Beth
lehem Steel company, and he has n lot
OF excuses in attempting to seek TO
justify his action in paying on an av-
erage of 35 per cent more than this
ammunition IS worth; but he has not
one reason that justihes II. in my opin-
ion.
As to whether these articles should
be manufactured at the Rock island
arsenal instead OF some other arsenal,
| prevailed upon the secretary OF war
TO ask General CroZier for his opin-
ion. and General Crozier IN a report
made to the secretary of war said:
II the departments estimates for in
creased appropriation for this class ..
op-field-artillery ammuni-
tion-are even partially met-an1 they
were-en increase OF its facilities will
be desirable. and the Rock Island ar
senal will be q good place for the adj
tional plant TO be established.
To enlarge the government arsenal at
Rock Island, Ill, so that IT may man.
ufacture a large portion OF the army
supplies for which the government Is
now being grossly overcharged by the
ammunition ring, would not require
the expenditure OF a penny for ground.
buildings, or water power.
l do not believe the United States
Government sufficiently appreciates
what a prize It has in the Rock Island
military tract, which IS adjacent to-
the enterprising and thriving cities OF
Rock Island, Moline. Davenport and
East Moline, having a combined pop
,,Iation in excess of 100, 900. and in the |
very heart OF one o; the most prornis- 1
ing manufacturing centers in the mid
die west. The tract covers S96 acres
Of an island in the Mississippi, with
double row Of great stone buildings
and elegant drives. and every acre a
natural park. with beautiful shade
trees in profusion everywhere.
! firmly believe that this piece OF
property offers the best
site that can be found for the proposed
81 OOO. 900 armor-plate factory. and
have introduced a resolution Oh. Res.
sO6) requiring the secretary OF the
navy TO carefully consider the advan-
tages o. Rock Island before determin-
ing upon any other site for the armor
factory. In the meantime every mem
Der of congress is invited to stop on
az Rock Island and see for himself