Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1915-06-20
War Preparations and Graft.

man Humphrey in that the Pacific
Coast needs better defenses against
q possible warlike attack, but fails
to recognize an emergency that can.
not await a complete change Of meth.
DDS in procuring such defensive muni.
tons. The United States are in no
danger Of an invasion for quite q
few years to come, II ever. Even
II this nation should be forced into
the struggle now going on in Europe
none Of the nations we should oppose
would be in position to send a for
midable expedition to this coast, 80
that there is plenty Of time in which
to provide that the people who foot
the bills shall receive something ap
preaching 100 cents on the dollar for
their money.
II the official records are to be be.
lieved. the Steel Trust, the Powder
Trust and all the firms and corpora.
tons selling munitions of war and
supplies Of all kinds to the army and
navy are charging the government ex.
orbitant prices. In discussing this
question in his report for the year
ending June 80, 1913. Secretary OF
the Navy Josephus Daniels said:
THE time has come when the
department should be freed from
excessive prices charged by pri-
vate manufacturers Of armor
!, plate, guns and gun forgings,
powder. torpedoes, and other sup
plies and munitions. Most Of
these necessaries for the Navy
are made by a few manufacturers,
and the prices charged are so
much too high that earnestly
recommend that appropriations be
made for an armor.plate factory
and and increase in the gun fac.
tory. the powder factory, and the
torpedo works. The ability to
make part Of the powder used
has effected some reduction, but
the department is forced to buy
too large quantity from the Pow.
der Trust at an exorbitant price.
1t has been demonstrated that the
department can save money by
making its powder, guns and tor.
pedoes. 1t 10 not open to doubt
, that 1t can save larger sums when
1t can make its own armor plate
and gun forgings."
In the same report, discussing the
advisability of government armor.
plate factory, the secretary Of the navy
pointed out that the government Is at
the present time at the mercy Of three
concerns-the Carnegie Steel company,
the Bethlehem Steel company and the
Midvale Steel company.
1T is evident" said the secretary,
"that without an armor plant Of its
own the government in time Of war or
impending war would be entirely at the
mercy Of these three manufacturers
and obliged to pay practically whatever
price they asked. History does not
warrant an assumption that the pa.
triotism of these companies would
prove superior to their desire for prof.
its, inasmuch as during the time that
war with Spain was imminent, these
companies refused to accept the price
fixed by congress after an investigation
as just rate and declined to manu.
facture any armor until they got their
own price Of 500 per 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 furnishing armor to Rus.
STA, as reported to congress, in 1894,
at $249 ton, while charging the Uni
ted States $616.14 a ton upon pur.
chases under the contract of March,
1893, nor did it hinder them from fur
nishing armor to Italy, in 1911, at
$395.03 ton while they were charging
their own government 1920 ton, and
that even at the present day, accord.
Ing to information that seems reliable,
they are furnishing the armor for the
Haruna. now being built by the Ka-
wasaki company, at Kobe, for Japan,
at $406.35 q ton, as against the price,
ranging from 1904 to $40 a ton which
they are now charging US for the armor
Of battleship No. &c."
As the secretary said, there Is no
escape from this wholesale graft ex.
cept the government manufacture Of all
the more expensive war munitions. but
SO far the interested concerns engaged
In those lines have succeeded in block.
Ing congressional action along this
line.
In his report, June 80, 1914, Secre-
larry Daniels said:
Before the government began
to manufacture smokeless powder
It paid 80 cents . pound for it.
Government competition, coupled
with better methods, have brought
down the price ct which tho de-
partment purchases this powder to