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Show TENDER MANY SITES FOR FEDERAL PLM More Than 100 Cities Ask on First Day for Armor j j Plate Manufactory. WASHINGTON'. Sept. 13. Offers of sites for the projected $11,000,000 povern-ment povern-ment armor plate plant were made to the navy department at hearings here today by more than 100 cities and rural localities in the middle west and the east. Others will be heard from tomorrow. tomor-row. I No proposal for sale of private plants , was presented, although representatives . of the principal armor plate manufacturers manufactur-ers were present. Naval officers said to- ; night they regarded it unlikely that any plant would be offered for sale and expressed ex-pressed the opinion that the government I would besin construction of its own establishment es-tablishment when a satisfactory site had been selected. Keenest competition was evidenced by spokesmen for the various cities. Large delegations, In many instances headed by state officials, congressmen and presidents presi-dents of boards of trade and other or-j or-j ganizatlons. appeared to press the claims of New York, Chicago, Philadelphia. Cincinnati. Cin-cinnati. Birmingham, Savannah. Louisville, Louis-ville, Baltimore, St. Louts. Hrooklvn, Buffalo, Buf-falo, Ilaloigh. Toledo. Cleveland, Pittsburg, Pitts-burg, Norfulk and many other cities. The hearings were held In Secretary i Daniels's office before the secretary, As- ; sistant Secretary Roosevelt, Admiral j Benson, chief of operations, and members i of the general board, with whom rests : the question of selection. Alabama delegations were first to appear ap-pear and were followed by the other states in alphabetical order until the h ea r i n gs re c esse d tonight. R h od e Is! a n d cities will be tlie fhst considered tomorrow. The speakers laid particular emphasis on the question of transportation facilities, facili-ties, climatic conditions, character of population, natural resources, cost of living liv-ing and of production of armor plate at given points. These considerations will play an important part when a final choice is made. |