Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-09-18
is
CRY LARGE FIRMS
Agitation Started. Tavenner Charges
by Congressman Gardner, Massa-
chusetts.
NAMES MONEY FROM BUSINESS
His Relatives Also Stockholders in
Concerns in War Trafficking
Companies.

washington, Sept. 1S.-That Con
gressman Augustus T. Gardner OF
Massachusetts. who started the present
reign OF preparedness" agitation, was
stakeholder in one Of the largest war
trafickng firms in the United States
when he started the agitation. and that
his relatives were and are now also
stockholders. was the somewhat start
ling information brought out before
committee of congress recently by
Congressman Clyde II. Tavenner OF
Illinois
Tavenner made his statement in the
presence of Mr.. Gardner himself. The
Illinois congressman declared that
the particular members in both the
house and senate who started the mil
itaristic movement were stockholders
in war trafTiCking firms. AS concern
ing the senate he did not mention any
names as the rules of the house pro
hibit references Of this kind TO mem
bers of the other body, but he was re
ferring to United States Senator Henry
Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts, the ia
ther-in-law of Congressman Gardner
Senator Lodge had stated under oath
before the lobby investigating commit
tee of the senate that he was a stock
pany. This concern. according to a
statement made on the floor of the
senate by Senator Cummins of Iowa,
has received war contracts from Eu-
rope approximating S70000.000.
Congressman Tavenner sought to
prove that MT. Gardner not only want
ed big armament. but that he was
seeking to have the United States be
come involved in the European war.
The Illinois congressman took an in
terest in this matter because he is
seeking to have the government man
ufacture its own munitions. and con-
tended that the private ownership of
the munitions industry by Wall street
capitalists is a constant menace to the
peace of the nation.
Tavenner's statement before the
committee has just become public
property through the printing of the
official hearings as House Document
Report No 1170 Tavenner's state
ment was in part as follows:
Mr.. Tavenner. If the committee fs
willing, l would like to ask Mr.. Gard
ner a couple of questions through the
chairman.
Mr.. TAYLOR. Inasmuch as Mr.. Tav-
enner has been referred TO here a
number of times. think he should be
permitted 10 dSh QueSJIOuS.
Mr.. Raker. You may proceed, Mr..
Tavenner.
Mr.. Tavenner. Relative to the $780,
900 worth of contracts obtained by the
General Electric company from the
navy department, ! would like to ask
Mr.. Gardner whether he knows ap-
proximately the amount of the con-
tracts, or the value of contracts, OBJ
tanned by the General Electric COM
pany from the Fore River Shipbuilding
company, the Bethlehem Steel COM
pany, New York Shipping company,
and various other ship building COM
panies as a result Of the contracts re-
ceived by those concerns from the
navy department? / ask that for this
reason; The government itself has in
the past done very little in the way
Of building ships, but the ships, sub
marines, etc. are built by private con
Germs which purchase many of the
supplies necessary for that purpose
from the General Electric company.
Mr.. Gardner. have no idea. have
never looked into that.
Mr.. Tavenner. ! would like to ask
Mr.. Gardner how much stock he per
sonally owned IN the General Electric
company in October, 1914?
Mr.. Gardner. I think l owned 625
shares. ! have not looked it up, but
can tell you what I owned on Dec. 81
(Note.-This stock is now held at $40
a share)
Mr.. Tavenner That is near enough
7 wanted TO know approximately how
much you had at about that date.
Produces Telegram.
Now one other question: I have
here what purports 10 he a telegram
signed BY you and printed in the New
York World on Aug 81, 1915. 1t does
not purport to be an interview, but ap-