The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-25
DANIELS ASKS BILL
TO HIDE NAVY PLANS
Would Put Sale Of Articles
From L. :. Designs Under
Heavy Penalty.
DENIES SPY FUND CHARGE

WAsuINGroN, Jan. 2i.-Secre,ary OF
the Navy Daniels will send to the Senate
Committee on Naval Affairs within the
next few days the draft of a stringent
law to prevent secrets of the United
States navy connected with the manu-
facture Of warships. arnor plate ana
armament from being sold 10 Foreign
Powers. The measure is being drawn by
the department at the request OF Senator
Tillman, chairman of the committee, ana
follows the line of recommendations con-
taincd in the annual report OF the Secre-
tary.
According to Mr.. Daniels there is no
crtminal statute at the present time COW
crirg the case uf a contractor VINO, nav
.ng obtained the secret designs or the
DepL tinont for any device, OFFERS 10 sell
foreign Powers an article manufactured
iu accordance with these same designs.
lie said Tonight that the only redress
which the Government has Is appeal TO
the civil courts for an injunction. TINS
was the case last year when the Depart
mcnt took to the United states Circuit
court If Appeals an injunction SUIT 10
prevent 4 piiNat. company from seHlng
- foreign nations torpedoes OF a type
which IT had been manufacturing Tor the
governments. Although tho Department
uDtiinod the injunction Justice Coz c'll-
flsi1tCn uu'iNpTdNIN on INV utlE'lS u''''
existing Laws of important secrets he
coming tho propcrty Of foreign Powers
7 TN, bill would prohibit under severe
poual,ics any contractor from selling
or dcnoustratIur To- any person or Gov
crufncut any device of war made III
accordaure Will plans or specifications
furnished by tn" navy. II also ls pro-
,tdcd that the Government shall hay"
m" right to use ANY patent on NUM-
tiouS OF war or any new Invention or
engine OF war that may hc n'"h'd ior
! ruhlir defence. Where tn" public wei
fare demands It the rat"utec II required
10 keep The invention secret aud render
any personal assistance to the Govern
mont in applying tho iuvrntioN. Soc
rotary Daniels proposes that proper
COMPENSATION hc paid to ia" p;ttent"e.
In this connection he said this cvc-
ming that under he form Of government
iu this country. which permits at IA"
fullest and frcest discussion OF navy BINS
and reports IN congress, II must ohNi-
uu.ly happcu that foreign governments
should 81 all tunes know more about the
Nmci can navy than this Government
] Knows Of the affair of foreign uaNics.
For example, Secretary Daniels pointed
uUt. tine NtSy department has tulud
i Uur,-~iblc to obtain from any of the
/ European Powers IA" amount of armor
/ plat. used hy them ~ tn" building 81
WAt-h.ps during tn" past twenty years,
whereas such Information readily ~ OBJ
, talrahI" 10 his country.
Commenting uu ia" provision in the
naval estimates calling for an additional
80" 900 f." collection Of ~rmt At
hum" and abroad" Secretary Daniels
den ,I'thI' This money was 10 lee used
Iu the ruuluyluc't Of spies. TIL" money,
he sud. supply was - pay tn" expenses
o. adIi' nual naval attaches in the Eu-
rpp,tu var zone. so that All Information
which # BIS pruucr for these officers To
get can hr forwarded /" tn" United
& states lutl tho outbreak "f the pres
,rt war h, added. this Government had
. naval attaches at London, Paris. l'cr-
In and Rom" only. SIM" then add
tfu.tl ,'ft.h.- htNo h"'u s'ui 70 Pc''"-
-r.t. N'r'Hut tni other var capitals.