The Washington times., 1914-06-03
THREE BAT TTLESH|PS
FOR NAVY PROBABLE
By Senate's Action, Third One
viii Be Constructed If Two
Gid Warships Are Sold.

Three new battleships are likely to be
added to the navy. as the result of the
action of the Senate in convection with
The naval bill. Not only were two new
dreadna ughts authorized, but in case
the sale of the Idaho and Mississippi to
Greece is consummated. a third new one
viii be constructed.
II is expected the House will accept
the amendment authorizing the sale OF
the Idaho and Mississippi.
The naval bill was passed by the
Senate last night. Ii carries n total OF
about Sl4l,0o00c0. One of the important
PROVISIONS is an authorization of
special commission to report nm the To-
cation and cost of a Government armor
plate factory.
In a recent speech in the House, Con-
gressman Tavenner of Illinois sharply
assailed the armor plate manufacturing
interests of the country. He asserted
that the ''armor ring had imposed
eXorbitant prices on the Government Ior
armor plate, and that II the Government
had had an armor plate factory OF Its
own and had made its own armor, at
least $4,000 900 would have been saved
to the people in recent years.
Opposition to Movement.
Mr. Tavenner charged that there were
a few men in the House who wanted
the 'tarmor ring" TO remain in busi-
ness, and because of them II was inn
possible to get a fair test of the House
sentiment. In the course, of the dis
cussions on the naval bill in both the
House and Senate, much has been said
about the desira ability of the Govern
ment making its own armoT, and it is
declared TO be no longer open to ques-
tion that il could be done much more
cheaply than the prices for which the
armor supply is purchased However,
there has been sufficient opposition to
Government manufacture at each end
of the Capitol to make il practically
certain that no appropriation for an
armor plate factory will be ma lie this
year.
After referring to the fact that the
Government. back in 1898, started 10
pay, on an average SOS per ton Tor ar
Eor plate. Mr.. TaYcnner said:
THE average of nine estimates made
by various investigating committees of
the Senate and Navy Department and
Of individual officers and experts OF
the navy is THAI armor can be manu-
factCred in Government plant at a
cost of S3i1-17 per ton.
Yet We are now paying the armor
rims s454 Der ton lp all, We have pur-
chased 1885 tons Of armor from the
armor ring at an average price Of
S4.42. i believe that it is a very con-
servative statement 10 say that of the |
50. 19S, 24S. that We have paid the armor |
ring for this armor, at least S310O1,0J0 |
could have been saved to the taXpay- |
ers had this arTnor been manufa actured |
by the Government itself"
Threat Brought Results.
Mr.. Tavenner recounted that when |
the Government was paying enormous |
rices Tor armor back in 1893 |
Senator TilIman, of South Carolina, |
started in to fight the high price. II |
was finally reduced from s65S to s413 per |
ton. In 1900, provision was put into |
the bill that If the Secretary of the |
Navy was unable to obtain a square
deal from the "armor trust" he was |
10 build Government armor plate fac |
tory. The result was that the arrnor
plate concerns dropped their prices as |
low as SS45. Then. Congress failed TO
Keep in the naval bill the provision /
which was inserted for some wears re- /
latlve to construction of a Government |
factory and the prices for armor grad
y" ly went up, as described by Mr..
Ia"erner. until the present price OF sl5I
per ton was reached.
such an amendment in the naval bill
even If no plant were established,
would save the public 81. 100000 a year,
At least in the opinion of Mr.. Tayen-
me- However. he would go further and
Ea.e Government gun-forging plant
This BILL he said, abiding to the
naval appropriation bill. carries an ap-
Tropriation of sl4 81. 500. for arrnor and |
armament alone. If the Government
had its own armor and gun-forging
plant believe l am we'll within thet
Gccnds Of conservatism when ; say that
- per cent of this sum, or, in round
numbers, A.W0.0o could be saved to
III" taxpayers. Is 100000 a wear on
arnor and armament alone worth the
saving? ], for one, believe il is"