While some people declare that it will cost the Government twice as much
to manufacture the armor, others think that it can be made for
considerably less than the companies ask.
The history of this affair is very interesting.
About 1885, Mr. Whitney, who was then Secretary of the Navy, induced a
private company, the Bethlehem Iron Works, to build the first American
armor plant, by making a number of contracts with them which would keep
them busy furnishing armor for battleships for several years.
The price then fixed was $580 per ton, and the armor to be supplied was
what is known as steel armor.
Before the first contract could be filled, the next Secretary, Mr.
Tracy, had his attention called to some new kinds of armor that were
being introduced.
One kind was being made by an English firm, and another by a French
company.
The English plan was to make what is called compound armor. This was
hard steel welded on to a back of softer metal, the idea being that the
soft back would act as a sort of cushion, and save the front part of the
plate from being cracked by the blows of the shot.
The French system was to make a mixture of steel and nickel. They
claimed that the nickel alloy would give greater strength to the plate.
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