Evening journal., 1919-09-22
rXECUTIVESAT FORT
DELAWARE BLAMED
Major Foster Chare e S
Wrong Men We're Named
Ordnance Executives
MARLIN.ROCKWELL
SITE POOR ONE


o denals by ordnance department Of
icials in Philadelphia Of the charges Of
extravaganza and bad management in
The construction OF shell-loadns
plant at Fort Delaware, Representative
Graham. OF Illinois, chairman OF the
special committee Of the House inVesti-
eating War Department expenditures,
has made public the fun text OF the
report by Major Clair Foster, United
states army, in which the officer con-
demned the Marlin-Rockwell Loading
Company 10 Colonel W. A. Starrett,
chairman Of the committee on emer-
gency construction Of the war indus
rics board
The report itself is ample reply to
John c. Jones, district ordnance chief
In Philadelphia" said Chairman Gra-
ham.
The principal criticism OF the Marlin
Rockwell Company expressed by Major
Foster was that 10 failed 10 select the
right men for the work.
1t Is reasonable TO presume" the
report stated. that IL did not, and still
does not. see its problem: for it has
not yet chosen men who can cope with
lhe situation. The active heads Of the
oading company. the men in whose
hands the whole responsibility was
placed. are men OF no manufacturing
experience They were statesmen. They
were just that by training and dispOsi-
tion. The incOngruity Of selecting
salesmen for this kind Of task Is ap-
parent when YOU stop to think that.
once the ordnance was sold, 10 use
sales parlsnce. on the project itself,
there was not the slightest use for men
of that type"
Major Fosters report further charges
The Ordnance Department never had
an experienced officer on the ground
Poor site Chosen.
The Marlin-Rockwell Company fell
down badly in the selection Of the site,
having engaged the same real estate
broker who sold the Hos Island site
10 the government for $1,000 an acre
after the owners Of the land had offered
II for $500 an acre.
In refusing to accept the Lukens site,
which would have enabled many work
srs TO live 10 Wilmington and obviate
the necessity for the housing construc-
lion al the Fort Delaware site. 10 was
oharged that Test holes at the Lukens
site developed quicksand, but investi-
cation revealed that no test holes
ever were put down.
The Rockwell Loading Com
pany. in submitting the construction
contract. retained Ga per cent Of the
amount leaving the Fred r. Ley Com
pany which did the work. 3i4 per cent.
In other words. the loading company
was to receive on basis OF cost of
s6.JO0OO0, s3is1J0 for doing absolutely
nothing
Although the contract with the gov
rrmeni was not signed until May I.
1915 The loading company obtained
riNcst stun ever heard or" he said,
and there ought 10 be some prosecu-
lions believe there viii be"
With reference 10 tho adjustments on
war contracts Mr.. Graham said: Ger
tam interests have been holding up the !
government for millions OF dollars
In making settlements they figure /
on The profits they would have made /
If they had carried out the contracts" ." /
ne added Hundreds Of millions Of /
dollars have been paid out 10 corpora
iions that did not produce a dollars .
worth Of stuff 70 the government"
In response 10 The charges that the /
committees Investigation has been con
Quoted FOR the sole purpose Of develop /
ing campaign material for the Republi-
cans in the political contest OF next |
year. Mr. Graham stated that so far
our investigations show that the ma
jority Of those profting by illegal con- I
tracts and irregular settlement OF war
claims are Republicans"
The text Of Major Fosters report
follows. in part
This contract exhibits the same fun
damental unsOundness Of many Of the
other ordance contracts that place in
the hands Of the designers Of the plants
or the operators Of II the actual CON
struction or ffe administration Of the
construction work. The supposition
that the man who is going to operate
a plant should know how IL should be
designed is iusti1sble; the belief that
he is likewise the best man 10 manage