The sun., 1916-11-12
An Open Letter to Judge Gary
The u. S. Stee. Corporation

Inc U. ,. Steei COIp0IduOn
sir-The situation uncovered by the open
ing Of the bids for submarine construction
il 80 serious from a preparedness point OF
view that I trust you will excuse my ad-
dressing you In this manner on the matter.
Briefly. Congress has appropriated $4,000.
900 with which TO build IS submarines IN
three years. Bids were opened two weeks
ego for 10 submarines to cost about sal
100000.
There were two bidders. the Submarine
Boat Co. and the Lake Torpedo Boat Co.
The Submarine Co.'S bids Automatically
cancelled themselves by their terms. leav-
Ing only the Lake Torpedo Boat Com
pany. which bid for not less than 10 nor
more than 10 boats for Itself and It's sub
sidiary In California.
The Lake Torpedo Boat Co. Is willing to
undertake the entire programme of con
s,ruction but for the fact that owing to
ne chokeu condition Of the steel mills a.
viii be unable to get the material ior
regular delivery.
The government is in what might be
called u hole from which 1t can only DO
,xtricaied by some radical action on the
part OF the steel companies, Ia giving pref
renee to deliveries OF steel for submarine
As a 'stockholder of the steel Corporation
1 would IKE to maize the following susges-
tion
That the Steel Corporation agree with the
government that II the dissolution suit Is
TanuTa"n anu ausshea' INC stSe' norp9s .
rom the Lake Torpedo Boat Go. for sub
marine materials bUore any other orders
are hiled IN order that tn" pr.paredness
programme as regards submarine defense
shall not go TO pieces
As a stockhOlder l would consider this a
fair bargain. | believe | am not going too
Tar In stating that the general public feel
Ing IL that the dissolution suit should never
| nave been brought that th- Steel InfnOTtn
ton Is regarded by the stockholders and
the public In general as a we'll and honestly
The csTe there should be no necessity of
regsrdins its size as a crime against the
1 would suggest that such an action as I
have mentioned would go far to retute the
presidents claim that there Is no patriot
Ism Ia big business and wou.i - far to
remove the feeling Of apprehension that our
present defcnseless condition has aroused.
would like to quote Hudson Maxim. the
famous inventor Of war devices. IN al inter
lew printed recently IN which he said;
hard school. but FOOLS will Earn al none
other. Yet n larg" proportion ~ ia" people
from experience the pregnant truth vlndi-
cated on every page OF hiStnry-that "A ma
ton that Is rich and weak Is a. sure 80
IRE poor and strong AS We can be- sure tina.
the sun will rise Ia the east IN the fuurnius.
This Is a truth OF history without cN-
option. for there can be no exception. be-
cause IL IL q law ~ Nature law OF the
survival OF the h'test-the biggest OF al
avs of ltfe-thHt the strong shall pr, v
upon the weak. just as The fat OK II killed
and eaten by the lion, All the carnivorous
animals OF the world have been develop, |
20 take advantage OF this very law. AM
The horse and tho deer have been mai
fleet for their safety and given horns rr
heels for their protection when bruur .
TO hay.
The United States l. exactly NJ unsafe.
the world a. would be u tut calf tied Ia u
tree In - Jungle infested with lions and
tigers
n what he says Il tive ara - sesm4 %
me II -. | submit thn' o. T. 90" II'y Of ever"
patriotic citizen 20 do his utmost - remedy
this alarming CONDITION. whether ~ bee an
huinhl. individual IKE mHN'lt or a man lt
your high and influential p-.!'lHn
=. u. l.. rKENTIS~.
II was announced from Washington We.
terday that the contracts Tor ~~IbwuriIt
construction would probably 20" given out
tho middle ~ this coming week
! have printed a story OF m" inside H.,
tory ~ tho hattie that has boon raging = r
months between tho submarine Nont Z,
and the Lake Torpedo Ront Co.. ~ whI
the LAX Torpedo boat Co. vor-t.d IT,
practically withdraw from the 'r|d ..
submarine building ! vii un.l T. uu
quest.
=. y. l.. PRENTISS,
~ BROADWAY. SEW WORK.