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Show geMsaswaWaaaaVBaVj aaseaxexexaxexexi m nana gsaaawxaBxaaniaBwaaeaxVwS Ship Tragedy Leads U.S.to Change System In Making Ordnance By Intematienel Nsws Service. WASHINGTON. June 1 Bloodstained and battered, , a tiny bit of brass, taken from ths heart of a dead Red Cross nurse waa a mute but dramatic witness before ths committee com-mittee on naval affairs today. The piece of brass was from a casing , csp of one of the shells fired on hoerd ths liner Mongolia, when the two nurses were killed two weeks ago. As a result of ths secldent It developed de-veloped in the investigation today that the United H tales navy, on the very edge of the war, has determined de-termined to make a change In the manufacture of Its ammunition. Ordnance experts have determined to substitute for ths brass oap. a wooden disk, which would be neat ne-at roved hy ths explosion when Ihe I shell Is fired. The, hearing todsy. brought shout by the resolution of Senator Krellnghoyeen. showed both Serre-tary Serre-tary Daniels and Admiral Earls, chief of ths ordnance bureau, are " ennvlnred that Ihe accident was unavoidable. They both testified ths accident earns not from sny neglect, but from sa Inexpllcabls sauna: si the braae sap, i - Although other bearings will be held nest week. It seemed evident today that Ihe naval committee had been perauaded no ' blame should be attached for the accident. acci-dent. However, it Is possible further fur-ther testimony may develop mors facta Premature explosions 'hava occurred on hoard the St. Louts. St. Psul and Philadelphia, as well , as on the Mongolia, it cams out today. Ths report that of forty-flvs shells fired by the St. Louis, nons of them proved efficient, .crested ' a stir In ths committee. Captain ' MacDougall. the American naval attache at the embaaay la London, submitted the report. He said four of the Shells burst within 100 fret of the ship, nine hurst In ths guns snd none exploded when they struck ths tarsal. Admiral Karle contradicted the report, saying an Inquiry when tha St. Louis re. turned to an American port showed show-ed that all shots striking ths target tar-get exploded, making a "perfect record." ' It wss Secretary Daniels who showed the piece of braas cap. Ha reached Into his vest pock at and , drew It out. "That, gentlemen, was taken from tha heart of one of the .mines," he said. Ths secretary read' a report from Lieutenant Philip Seymour, com. mending the f"nrwenboardj the Mongolia. Seymour said the accident was In no way dua te carelessness or neglect on the part of any one on board the Mongolia and Daniels eald the board of inquiry in-quiry confirmed this statement aa well as the ordnance experts and "everybody In the navy." "It would have been very difficult diffi-cult to make anyone in the navy believe such sn - accident could have occurred, wouldn't It?" asked Senator Swanson. ranking member mem-ber of the committee. "Indeed it would. I don't under-stsnd under-stsnd now bow It could havs occurred," oc-curred," replied the sesretary. Senator Page aaked why such sn accident never occurred before. Admiral Karle Interrupted to explain ex-plain that during target practice the men were ordered below or wees protected by the ship's armor. ar-mor. Senator Penrose said ths nurses might hava been ordered below. But to this. Admiral Karle esld the a or I dent was conaldered Impossible. He assured the com -mlttee that such an accident eould never happen again, because of the substitution of the wooden disc for the brass casing cap. While Barle waa testifying, Fre- llnhuyaan said: - . ... . ....... 1 inns pjniis age ywwwxior tne - ammunition for the merchant shine was perfect and now It has been shown that thirteen shells have prematurely explodsd on those ships." "I meant aa perfect as It Is possible pos-sible to get ammunition," countered coun-tered the admiral. "It seems to have been all right sscept that It killed two Red Cross nurses. It must have been like the successful surgical operation that killed the patient," put In Senator Polndexter. "Patient died of a weak constitution," consti-tution," added Senator Penrose. Secretary Daniels denied a report re-port that two American destroyers had been lost in British waters because be-cause of defective smmunltlnn. Admiral Earls In answer to Senator Sena-tor Penrose said It waa impossible for sny ons to hsve tampered with the Mongolia's 'ammunition, because be-cause It wss carefully guarded. During the hearing. Senator Polndexter began to light a cigar. At his elbow were several sheila cartridges and a bottle of high explosives. Senator Swanson rs-a rs-a trained Senator Polndexter Just In time. It la probahts P. A. a. Franklin of ths International Merranitm Maine, which operates the Mongo--Ha. si. Louis snd ether shine may be heard next week by the committee. com-mittee. The findings aaked for by the Frellnghuysen resolution must be In hy June IB. |