Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 87, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1917 — BUYING SHELLS ABROAD [ARTICLE]

BUYING SHELLS ABROAD

‘ When the government announced that a British firm had submitted a bid for more than 4 $3,000,000 worth of armor-piercing navy projectiles which was far below the bid of any American firm, it attracted little attention, because it was presumed that another opportunity would be given to the American firms. It now appears that the American firms were Invited to revise their bids, and that their price for each shell was about S2OO above that of the British firm. The contract has been let to the British firm. In ajl, there were 7,500 shells to be ordered, and Secretary Daniels has explained that the difference in price was too large for the government to overlook. -

Now the American people are wanting to know w r hy their factories can, not compete in the class of work with British factories. Is ft, as some contend, that because the British navy has not been busy of late, the British mav have cut the price to keep their ordnance works going on standard work? This seems unlikely, because Great Britain is badlyun need of material for supplying ammunition to her armies. Or is it, as President Grace' of the Bethlehem Steel company explains, that American firms have lost money on previous contracts for large shells because they could not satisfy the specifications laid down by the naval engineers? l,te intimates that the naval engineers seemed in doubt as to what was wanted. At -this 'time no satisfactory explanation has been made. "But the contract has been let; The British bid means a saving by the government of $1,500,000, and delivery is promised in half the time asked by American firms. This difference is too large to be forgotten. The government and the American bidders owe the American public a satisfactory explanation.-—lndianap-olis News.