Munitions Among Gentlemen

Munitions Among Gentlemen

While in Washington last week lawyers with unaristocratic names fired questions at J. P. Morgan and Thomas W. Lament in gangster argot (see p. 12), in London there was decorum and courtesy as the Royal Commission on the Private Manufacture and Trade in Arms examined great armament tycoons.

James Ramsay MacDonald advised King George to appoint this Royal Commission in one of his last acts as Prime Minister, naming as chairman benevolent, octogenarian Sir John Eldon Bankes, a retired Lord Justice of Appeal. Sittings last week were in the half-moon-shaped, oak-paneled Council Chamber of ancient Middlesex Guildhall opposite Westminster Abbey. Acoustics were so poor that proceedings could not be heard in the gallery.

Britain's foremost armament firms, Vickers Ltd. and Vickers-Armstrong Ltd., sent their joint Board Chairman, sleek, tall General Sir Herbert A. Lawrence. once Chief of Staff of the B. E. F. in France, and their bland, trim, assured General Manager Sir Charles Craven, famed in Mayfair for his mannerism of "talking down to the ruling class." The Chairman of the Royal Commission asked if in Vickers' experience bribery is necessary to obtain armament orders outside of Britain.

"It is a difficult question to answer," replied Sir Charles, "but I should say that roughly the farther you get from here the looser the morals are." (Explosions of loud laughter)

"When you say that the farther away from this country the looser the morals become," cried Professor Harold Cooke Gutteridge, a member of the Commission, "did you mean the looser the morals of the briber or the bribed?" (Laughter)

"I can't say," replied Sir Charles.

Interjected Chairman Bankes: "It is useless to be a briber unless the bribed will accept." (Laughter)

"Is it quite clear," pressed Professor Gutteridge, "that if any of your agents do this kind of thing they pay it out of their own commissions?"

"No," answered Sir Charles, "they pay it out of the 3.4% which is our average selling expense."

"I don't suppose you issue instructions one way or the other?" ventured Professor Gutteridge.

''No, we don't" said Sir Charles Craven.

Zaharoff. One member of the Royal Commission is a practicing journalist-novelist, Sir Philip Gibbs. He itched to ask questions about Journalism's famed "Mystery Man of Europe," Sir Basil Zaharoff.

"In the popular imagination of the world," cried Sir Philip from his padded seat, "there is no doubt that Zaharoff is regarded as a very sinister figure walking through the courts of Europe as agent for the sale of munitions. . . . Was he not your general agent?"

"I really don't know," replied Vickers' board chairman. "He brought a vast amount of business to Vickers for 20 years. Since 1924 he has taken no part in the activities of Vickers or our associates except as one of our agents in regard to the Spanish business."

Sanctity. Board Chairman General Sir Herbert Lawrence was not really drawn in until the Royal Commission asked if he thought armament firms were antagonistic to world peace and the sanctity of human life. Taking a long breath Sir Herbert replied: "Most decidedly armaments firms are not. Quite obviously, the principal interest of Vickers is in making warships and instruments of war, but to carry from that to the idea that Vickers is anxious to see them used in wars is going too far. I think that the question of the sanctity of human life, which is one that appeals to every human being, has sometimes been exaggerated to the disadvantage of certain other facts of public life."

At this Journalist Sir Philip Gibbs exclaimed: "Do you think you could exaggerate the iniquity of war!"

"Yes," replied the General. "There are certain people for whom I have a great respect who in no circumstances whatever would go to war or defend themselves. That is a very high ideal, but it is not one with which I am in sympathy."

Sugar Candy. An opinion from Vickers Manager Sir Charles Craven that "I think the League of Nations is the most wonderful ideal that has happened in our time," made the Royal Commission quake with mirth on its padded seats next day.

"You do not think your wares are any more noxious or dangerous than boxes of chocolates or sugar candy?" asked Sir Philip.

"--Or novels!" the Vickers manager quipped at the journalist-novelist.

Persisted Sir Philip Gibbs: "You do not think them more dangerous than chil dren's crackers?"

"Well," replied Sir Charles, "Once I nearly lost my eye with a Christmas cracker, but I never lost it with a gun."

"Armament Ring?" Obviously the nature of proceedings before the Royal Commission was affected last week by the fact that His Majesty was not asked by Mr. MacDonald to empower it to search for or seize documents, put witnesses un der oath or hold them in contempt if they refused to answer questions. All docu ments of a possibly incriminating nature produced last week had been obtained from Washington as a result of last year's high-pressure U. S. Senate probe of the so-called "International Munitions Ring."

Declared Vickers Accountant J. Reid Young before the Royal Commission : "It is desired to state now that Vickers, Ltd., its subsidiaries and associates, are not members of an international armament ring; neither do they control any foreign companies whatsoever by share holdings, by the nomination of directors or by agree ments."

Sir Charles Craven said that Vickers owns 25% of a Japanese ordnance and shipbuilding firm, 21% and 22% respectively of a pair of Spanish armament firms and 13 1/2% of a similar Rumanian establishment. "We have no control of these companies in any way," he said. "It is merely an investment."

"Very Nasty Mind." A letter which shocked the U. S. Senate and went a long way toward shocking the House of Commons into having the Royal Commission appointed was that of Sir Charles Craven to the Electric Boat Co. of Groton, Conn, in which he mentioned "my friend at the Admiralty." Boomed Sir Charles last week: "I never intended to discredit the impartiality of an Admiralty official!" He then produced a letter written to himself by the present First Lord of the British Admiralty, Viscount Monsell, as follows: "I am glad to have your apology for your unfortunately worded reference to a director of contracts at the Admiralty. I share your regret that it was mentioned [by the U. S. Senate], for it was capable of interpretation utterly at variance with the truth."

Heaviest U. S. Senate ammunition fired in London last week was the reading of a letter sent by Sir Charles Craven to Electric Boat Co. about Admiral Sir Percy Addison, today British Admiralty Dockyards Director.

"I wonder whether you have heard," wrote Sir Charles, "that Percy Addison is now the director of dockyards. I helped him all I could to get the job and I think he should be the ideal fellow. As he has no private means worth talking about, you will appreciate what it means to him. . . . I suggest we have a party and thoroughly wet his appointment."

Sir Charles Craven said last week that there was "nothing sinister" in this letter and that only a person "with a very nasty mind" could think.so.

"In your letters you sometimes say what you mean," tartly observed the only female Royal Commissioner, Dame Rachel Crowdy.

"Yes," agreed Sir Charles, "and hope that the other person puts it into the fire!"

"Your free & easy language," said the Dame, "is most helpful to this Commission."

British is Best. Vickers having thus been vindicated in the person of Sir Charles, Sir Herbert Lawrence gave the Royal Commission glowing accounts of a new, superdeadly Vickers anti-aircraft gun which he said surpasses anything Britain's armed forces have and is now being sold by Vickers to other countries. This created a tremendous sensation up & down the United Kingdom last week. Rival British armament firms sourly charged Vickers with having transformed the Royal Commission into a broadcast booth from which to advertise British-made Vickers guns as the world's best. Several M. P.s not unfriendly to Vickers said they would ask questions in Parliament why this superior gun is not being bought by His Majesty's Government but instead sold to others which may use it against the United Kingdom.

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