Baxter Springs news., 1917-02-01


preciation.
ono Oe the special needs of the new
navy q stxts0n-inch Guna-euDs sixty
feet long and capable Of hurting Q
1000 pound shell with such power and
ACCURACY % to hit O 90 foot saware tAf"
eOt fifteen miles away.
We have undertaken voluntarily TO
construct, ct q cost Of &A.bQo00Q. Q
plant flttoA b build aixtssn-ineh guns.
fJnAsF no conceivable circumstances
can ordeeS which We may receive t3
this plant pay even Q Sair rsfnrn On
the Investment
Considerable comment has been made
upon the Act that q Britiah manufAe-
turer recently bid lees than AmedcAn
manufacturers for sixteen and four
tsen-inch shells for the navy.
! am unable to state the basin upon
which the English bid was made. Il
uhould be remembered, however. that
this bid was for q specific she'll a0u'
ples Of which are being sent over nor
test-a test not yst mAds.
Two years ago We took IN order fof
Q4OO fourteen-inch armor.piorcin9 shells
at q contract price Of S76e.0oQ to b
delivered within certain dme OF We
had to pay q large penalty.
The only specifications for making
these shells are that they shall 30
Of q certain siss and must pisFcs
armorplate at certain velocity on I'M
pact II 10 impossible 70 fOretell tho
exact conditions Of the tesla.
We had made large quantities OF shells
In the past which had been accepted
But IN placing this particular order the
Department altered the angle at which
the tested shells must pierce armor
plata. The result, how0veF. has been
absolute inability o. our part to pre
duce In any quantity, shells whicA WI
meet these novel tesla. In FACT No
know Of no process Of prOJectls-mak-
Ing through which Il is pOSsihle to pro.
duco In quantities shells which VIZ
conform to the requirements.
The result u that up 70 now on thae
contract Of e70O. 100. We have put into
actual operating expense &d47.e01.. an0
have besn penalized for nCn-delivery
$685. IA, q total Of eoAS. S.02O.. with -
receipts whatever.
such was the experience IN the light
Of which we were called upon resent
~ 10 bid for sixteen.lnch shells.
We bid on these shells at apron
nately the same rate per pound %
that OF Q HOurtsen.inch shell contract
OF one year ago upon which the Gov
arnment awarded contracts.
We have not the slightest IDEA what
uroflt there win be In the making Ot
these shells. We DO not know that
there win be any. There % no certain
ty that Il would b possible for % %
deliver q shell % meet the test.
For Omcers IN the Navy TO assume
that any bid made under such conai'
rioua n '-exOrbitant'' q utterly unfair.
We bia ON the new 0attle-cTuisoO
yums which Navy department experts.
after examination Of our books. found
would yield . prOat Of less than ten
psr cent. We agreed to assume Fisks
for increased costs Of materials and b.
Dor. that made 4 possible that thsse
contracts might yisld no prOnt what
ever.
The cOSts run beyond he amount ap.
propTiated b. Congress On the basis q
The cost estimates made . year ago.
Ana because shipbuildefs could nOt
alter the lnexorAbls cost facts and ~
auce bids % early estimates q the
Navy Department TIE pEicsS arS eolSeo
'-exogbltant"
n would b q real advantags - -
relieved Of this naval construction The
pruat from q cannot possibly amount
to much. and the responsibility b enE
nous.
We have determined b mako tbs
ofFsr % the American Government
IF yOu WIN build two Of the hattes-
cruisers n Government navy yardA
we Wfil build the othsr two at The -
eertaInsd coSs of building the ships in
the Government yardA without ndM
tionaI expense o. commissions q any
kind. We WiIl alDo eontract - havs
en- shiDs Fsady foP SsEvics ahoa1 q