The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-09-06
EVIDENCE UNCOVERS
CLOSE ALLIANCE OF
MUN|Y|0N CONCERNS
Electric Boat of y. S. Had
Agreements With Eight
Foreign Companies
CREASED DEALS SHOWN
Turkish Minister Of Defense
Was to Have Received
$4,000 for Contract


that the Electric Boat company,
Americas foremost submarine build
ers, maintained close agreements"
not only with Vickers, Ltd, of Eng
land, but also with leading shipbuild-
ing concerns of Holland, Belgium,
Norway, Russia, France. Spain, Italy
and Japan, were laid Thursday be-
fore the senate munitions committee.
Featuring Thursdays session was
evidence that the Turkish minister Of
defense in 1924 was to have received
$l2,50O If the Electric Boat company
got a contract to build submarine
for Turkey.
A letter put into the committee rec
ord from H. H. Johnston, q repre-
sentative Of the New London, Conn.,,
company to L. Y. Spear, a vice presi-
dent, spoke of SIS, 900, half Of which
was to go to the minister Of defense
II the company got the business.
Bid Against Italian Firm
It was bidding against an Italian
firm.
II know that this Is irregular"
Johnston wrote, but it was the only
chance to do business there and we
took It,"
The Italians got the business. how
ever.
Letters about the contracts in which
great secrecy was used and men were
referred to by numbers were put into
the record.
Testimony that the state depart
ment refused permission in 1929 for
an American concern to sell submar-
ines to Russia also was given the COM
mittec.
Spear said Amtorg. the Soviet trad
ing corporation in New York, had
asked about the prospect Of buying
undersea boats from the American
concern.
I'VE referred the matter to the
state department" said Spear, and
were told that we should not sell such
equipment to Russia. Naturally, the
thing went no further"
President Backs Probe
The senate munitions committee
carried the assurance Of President
Roosevelt Thursday that there will be
no interference with its war profit
study.
Backed by this guarantee, the COM
mittee turned to evidence that Ameri-
can concerns did q big business behind
the scenes of the Pan-American con-
ference last winter at Montevideo.
The committee had received word
that certain government department
and munitions manufacturers repre-
sentatives wanted to confer with It
about keeping some evidence from OPP
en- hearings. The group met In exc
cutive session, but the representatives
did not appear.
Committee members said that at
first some of the government depart
ments had been reluctant to turn over
certain files about the activities Of
munitions manufacturers. but that
President Roosevelt had sent word to
make the information available.
Chairman Nye (Rep., N. d. told
reporters he would present evidence
that American concerns cooperated
with foreign munitions makers in dis
seminating armament propaganda in
Europe.
Montevideo situation Studied
Officials Of the Electric Boat COM
pany Of New York testified in the
third day Of the hearing as to wheth-
er they were in the group Of Ameri-
cans who it has been testified took
advantage of mutual suspicious Of
atin-American countries jealousies
to work behind the curtains at the
Montevideo peace meeting.
These officials had denied they
sent representatives to any peace or
disarmament conference.
After winding up with this COM
pany, which builds submarines, Sena-
tor Pope Dem., Idal1o) planned to
switch the inquiry into the briggs or
dinarce and engineering company
and the reported use Of the American
naval cruiser Raleigh as q show
case" in 1929 In an effort to sell Tur-
key q special type Of anti-aircraft
gun.
L. L. briggs, company president
failed to sell to Turkey sixty guns. But
the navy. Pope said, sent the cruiser
to Turkey In the hope that briggs
could make the sale, enlarge his plant
and thereby give this country more
gun manufacturing facilities.
Saying he expected to show how
munitions men worked at Montevideo,
Senator Nye added:
There IS pretty good authority
that may or may not be developed,
indicating that while statesmen were
at work on one side Of the curtain
trying to accomplish understanding
and peace and to get together In
those South American countries, on
the other side Of the same curtain at
work were representatives Of NUM-
lions makers. writing orders that were
occasioned by such fear and suspi-
cion as they were able to build up In
the minds Of neighboring countries
down there"