trouble is that no firm
can be found willing to supply the armor-plate for the price fixed by
Congress.

This price is $300 per ton.

Congress had a long discussion about the matter, and decided that this
was a fair and proper price to pay, and instructed the Secretary of the
Navy to buy it for this sum.

The Secretary had his doubts about the possibility of doing as he was
required, because he knew that the iron and steel manufacturers asked a
much higher price.

He, however, did as Congress desired, with the result that the Carnegie
Company refused point-blank, saying they could not possibly manufacture
it for that price. Several other firms also declined, and finally,
giving up all hope of placing the contracts, the Secretary suggested
that the Government should make its own armor-plate.

Agreeably to this suggestion, a board has been formed to look into the
matter, and see whether it is possible for the Government to enter into
this business with profit to itself.

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.

Secretary Tracy was so anxious that we should have the best possible
armor for our battleships that he ordered a plate from both companies,
and sent them to the Naval Academy at Annapolis to be tested.

The big g