Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-04-29
EXPLOSIVES To
Be REMOVED
$4,000 Tons to Either be De-
|. stroyed or Shipped Away,
I Weeks Writes to Senator
[By Evening News sian co-7espondent.l

[By Evening News Stan Correspondent
NEW BRUNSWICK, April 20
High explosives aggregating nearly
$4,000 tons in weight, which at the
present time are stored in h mag
azines and storage buildings at Rar-
itan arsenal, are to be either re-
moved or destroyed in the near fu-
ture, according to official advice re-
ceived by the Board of Freeholders
yesterday from Secretary of War
John w. Weeks.
Through the efforts of Senator
Joseph 8. Frelinghuysen working iL
conjunction with members of the
Board of Freeholders. this matte'
has been kept prominently before
the war department for the last
year, the matter being finally car
ried directly to the secretary several
weeks ago, at which time definite
assurance was given hat the matter
would be attended to.
Members of the county board were
highly elated at the news received
yesterday, as they feel that their
efforts have been highly successful
and hat the trips made by them TO
Washington were not made In vain.
The county governing body have
maintained since the terrific blasts
at the Morgan plant in 1918, that
the storage of large quantities of
explosives in Middlesex county was
4 menace and detriment to the
peace and safety of the community
and to that end have left no stone
unturned in their efforts to have a
part of the danger, at least, re-
moved.
Though assurance have been given
by the "a department in times past
that there was small likelihood of
another catastrophy such as visited
the county during the days of the
war, there has nevertheless been a
great deal Of apprehension on the
part of the citizens of the commu-
nifty, that a serious danger one still
existed in the government plants.
/Senator Frelinghuysen in a letter
10 the freeholders yesterday for
awarding a copy of Secretary
as to his attitude in the matter. 1t
follows:
Hon. J. 8. Frelinghuyssn,
United States Senate.
my dear Senator
with reference to your letter of
March 80. 1921, regarding the re-
,snoval of certain dangerous explo-
sives at present at Raritan Arsenal,
i am pleased to be able to advise you
that / have taken steps to remove
or destroy the following quantities of
ammunition from this arsenal and
the work win be pushed to an early
conclusion: 100000 three-inch
Stokes trench motor high explosives
shell, 100 tons; 14.3O0,00 hand
and rife grenades. 9,100 tons: 1907
900 she'll, eight-inch howitzer high
explosive. 10000 tons; total, 1880
tons.
1T 10 believed that the removal or
destruction at an early date sof the
material above referred to, which in
cludes that believed to be the great
ut potential danger insthe nea
FIXTURE, should so far toward remov-
llng R2X.~ ACTUAL danger to the sur
rounding Communities and will re-
nov any menace to life and prop
erty In that section of New Jersey.
"As ! advised you In my letter of
March rs, 1t is contemplated to be-
gin the transfer to other points of
the great bulk of the explosives now
stored at Raritan Arsenal as soon as
the next appropriation act makes
funds available for this purpose.
II trust that the action taken by
the department in this matter will
meet with your approval and with
that of the residents In the vicinity |
of Raritan Arsenal.
Sincerely yours,
JOHN w. WEEKS.
Secretary of War"