New-York tribune., 1918-05-08

Senator Chamberlain on the floor of
the Senate to-day.
Senator Chamberlain said his COM
mlttee proposed to "put it's finger on
the men responsible for conditions in
aircraft production. and that the in
curry would be held to find out the
truth of the charges made by Gutzon
Borglum, the sculptor. who made an
Independent investigation into the air
craft situation.
IL teel impelled to make few OBJ
s,ervations in view of the letter from
, the President to the Senator from Colo
rado (Senator Thomas)," Senator
Chamberlain said. "I have never seen
!ne borglum report referred to therein
l 1 nave never had any conversation with
Mr' W. Borglum, although l saw him a lit
We "hile yesterday in the committee
room, IN company with a few other
members of the committee. 1 infer in
q. general way from the statements pub
Ilshed with reference to the Borglum
report that it had reference more par
tlcularly to dishonest transactions or
transactions of pro-German character
affecting the general work of the Air
cra1t Board. Whether that is true or
not do not know. should like to see
that report, and shall make an effort
to read it as we'll as the other report
IL,
Committee Suggested Change
The Committee on Military Affairs
some time ago made a general report
dealing in a general way with airplane
production without going into details
sums of money by the Aircraft Board
or by any of those associated with it in
alrplane construction. The committee e
felt at that time that its work would
be we'll done if it could reach a general
conclusion as to aircraft production and
as to what was necessary to be done in
order that it might be speeded up. That
report IS now a part of the records of
the Senate.
1T is only necessary to say that the
conclusions of the committee were the
same as those which were reached by
the Marshall committee, which inves-
tlgated the subject at the request OF
the President. The same conclusions
reached by the Marshall committee and
the Committee on Military Affairs
were reached also by Mr.. Borglum
in other words, that there ought to be
a change in the method of aircraft pro-
duction, that there ought to be central
lzatlon of effort. The President has
now undertaken to carry out the sug-
gestlons made in all of these reports
the direction of Mr.. Ryan.
"The President has referred to the
Borglum report, according to his letter
to the Department of Justice, with in
structions that every instrumentality
at the disposal of the Department of
Justice be used to investigate and pur-
sue charges of dishonesty and malver-
sion of any kind.
Up to Department of Justice
"The Borglum report, as I under
stand from press reports, deals with
the expenditure of money only, or
largely with the expenditure of
moneys, so that if any of these sums
have been diverted or misappropri-
atec the Department Of Justice will
have ample opportunity to investigate
that aspect under instructions from
the President.
"The Department of Justice is prac-
tically the only department which can
investigate particular case into
which the criminal element enters. 1t
has men on the ground everywhere in
the United States who can investigate
charges of dishonesty and any charges
that might be MADE against any mem