New-York tribune., 1920-10-13


worth only $4,000 oon II salvage value
/ Copper wire and valves were sold as
junk, and two-acre lots. as we.; as 244
carloads of good material" were dis
posed of at junk prices.
The powder plant at Nitro. w. Va.
cost $70,000,000 to build, and was sold
after the armistice for $S,551 900, most
ly in deferred payments.
Neither Old Hickory nor Nitro fur
nished powder which was used in the
war.
The government built another powder
plant at Perryville, Md, at q cost of
$l4,000,000. This plant furnished no
powder used in the war.
At all plants modern cities were
erected, with houses, waterworks. paved
streets. theaters and other places OF
amusement. At Nitro the waterworks
system was sufficient for 100000 peo-
pie. The government furnished free
housing. gas, light heat, water, drugs
and medical service.
At Nitro III August and September,
1918, 50,000,000 pounds Of cotton was
dumped in the mud and ruined. Thirty
one thousand tons of sulphur, valued at
$50 ton, was also wasted by cX-
posure to the weather.
Perryville Plant Leased
The post-armistice fase or the Perry
vile, Md, plant was involved in bill
passed at the end of the last Congress,
grouping it with several hospitals
turned over the United States Public
Health Service for the care of wounded
and disabled soldiers. When the Secre
fary of the Treasury and the chief sur
geon of the Health Service, whose de-
-A~,&
ury, discovered that they had assumed
a powder plant they found no use for
it,
1t was found that under statute of
1879 the Secretary of the Treasury had
authority to "lease, at his own dis
cretion, for period not exceeding five
years, such unoccupied and unproduc-
tive property under his CONTROL
The Perryvlle plant was consequent
ly leased to Captain Charles E. Cole,
former disbursing officer at the plant
a friend of Secretary of War Baker
and brother-inlaw of George Creel, the
white House publicity agent" and of
DR.. r. II. Creel, an assistant surgeon in
the United States Public Health Serv-
ice. Captain Coles recommendation
for a commission in the army were
made by the Creel brothers. The terms
OIL lUt OOlc lSISe are as 1OllOWS.
Use Of the S14,000,000 Perryville
plant, with machinery, for year free
Of charge.
2-After the first year the govern
ment is to be given so per cent Of the
profits, provided profits do not exceed
$4,000 month. If the profits exceed
this amount the residue is to go to the
lessees.
3-Authority to suitcase the plant
is granted.
1.-The government agrees to buy the
electric light and public services Of the
plant.
Preferential right to lease sew
eral hundred houses built by the gov
ernment in that part of Maryland is
granted.
Captain Cole had two associates in
his lease, and they were not required
to furnish bonds or give security for
the safe care of the $14,0000OO prop
erty. The lease covers five years.
The governments shell loading plant
at Fort Dell, Delaware, was not COM
peted when the armistice was signed.
Up to that time it had cost about $14,-
100000 Witnesses before an investi-
eating committee sworo that among
the builders there appeared to be little
effort to aid the government, the chief
object being to beat it.
The Muscle Shoals nitrate plant in
Alabama was the subject of some hun
dreds of pages of testimony. Built on
100000. There is testimony that a
cook was employed as a draughtsman,
farmer was employed as an engineer
and movie actor as a mechanic.
Boilermakers were found asleep in
their boilers, electricians loafed. pay
rolls were padded, lumber was stolen
in quantity, teams were left idle, near
ly $1,000,0O0 was spent to recruit
labor. Union scale carpenters cut
brush, water boys appeared on pay
rolls as structural iron workers and
gambling was permitted to keep the
employees contented. The commissary
closed down with deficit of about
100000
The establishment of Camp Benning,
near Columbus, Ga, appeared extraor
dinary from the testimony of wit
nesses. Camp Benning was planned
as an artillery reservation, despite the
large reservation at Fort Sill, Okla
homa. The government bought a plan
tation, as part of the site, for $439, 900,
which had cost the owner $4,000, as
testimony showed. So much land was
required for the whole site that it
left an entire county without enough
taxable land to support it. The camp
was building when the war ended.
Secretary Baker told committee of
Congress that all work had been
stopped. Congress adjourned and the
work was resumed. Later, before the
Congressional investigating commit
tee, Secretary Baker admitted the con-
tinuance of work at Camp Benning.
II certainly made mistake in doing
that" Secretary Baker testified
The bin for Camp Benning was ST.
Camp Benning by legislative enact
ment. Senator Owen, Democrat, said
of Camp Benning in the Senate:
"The conduct of the War Depart