The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-10-02
Shell Inventor Makes Grave
Charges Before d. 8. Senate.
Says Battleships Would Be
Worthless in Defense.
STEEL TRUST CONNECTIONS
Isham Classes Our Vessels
With Flint Lock Muskets.
Claims Trust Owns Naval Onlss
GERS, Body and Soul.

washington. OCt z.@In8C t0tftY~
two battleships of the navy suppossa
to be equal in lighting strength to for
efgn vessels of the same tonnage ana
armament are Of inferior offensive
value. and that the three vessels for
which bids will be opened next week
will be as worthless and obsolete upon
their completion as q flint lock mus
ket. was alleged by willard 8. Isham.
a Washington inventor, at q tempes-
tuous hearing before the senate COM
mittee on naval affairs Thursday.
Coupled with this. Isham made SEN
sational charges against officials Of
the navy department, whom he
declared were trying to prevent tho
use Of modern inventions which would
lessen the demand for armor plate
and new ships. =.
Strauss Explains.
of ordnance. who was present to rep
resent the navy department and upon
whom Isham's charges centered, took
the stand and gave his reasons, in
reply to questions from senators, why
Isham had been barred from the tests
of a shell which he had invented. He
claimed Isham's language and con-
duct made him Objectionable to tho
department.
Strauss addec that the government
already has spent $3OO,0t testing tho
Isham shell, but that it desires a test
that will not be unduly difficult and
expensive.
Mr. Isham's charges were that the
navy is inefficient and unable to pro-
tect itself from the enemies attacks
because it is outranGed by the guns
and shells Of the world powers and
because ships of other nations are
faster.r He said: yss.ss
'Thirtsestwo Of cur older battfeshipa
carrying guns*of equal or lesser po0-
er than those in the Idaho are ,inef-
ficieht for the purposes for wl.eh they
were designed because they are out
ranged by foreign ships having guns
Of superior.fafige- and: possessing eu-
perior speed
To Remedy Defects.
He argued that this defect could be
obviated by the use Of a good torpedo
she'll He said:
"The issue is not the Isham shell or
anybody's shell In particular The quee-
ton is whether the ordnance officials
shall prevent the use of any torpedo
shell because they lessen the demand
for armor plate and for new ships.
Ordinance officers Of this country for
the past Is or 20 years have been In
possession of a safe torpedo shell that
could destroy any ship at range
within the limit fixed by visual ana
and other conditions, but notwithstand-
ing this such shells have not been
adopted for the service and our ships
have not been constructed either to
employ them of meet the change that
would result If other navies adopted
them"
Rear Admiral Strauss. in the course
of his testimony. contradicting Isham's
charges, declared Isham's pet state
ment was that Admiral Twining.
Strauss predecessor as chief Of ord
nance. was 'owned body and soul by
the steel trust"
Senator O'Gorman wanted to know
who saw the tests Of the Isham shell.
Strauss replied that officers from the
bureau of ordnance and the bureau OF
construction and repair and from the
Norfolk navy yard were present.
: A letter from Secretary Of the Navy
Daniels stated that it was the intention
Of the secretary to appoint Especial
commission to investigate and report
upon the merits of the Isham shell.