The sun., 1918-05-08
GREGORY IN INQUIRY
Department of Justice Will
Act on BOrglum's State.
ment of Malfeasance.
LIBERTY MOTOR SLOW
Chief of Signal Corps Bureau
Substantiates Points in
Scubtor's Report.
Special DespsfcA to Tns suS.

Special DespsfcA to THs suS.
WASHINGTON. May 1.-Two investiea.
tons into the Gutson Boylum charges
regarding aircraft delay. one BY the De-
Jar;ment Of Justice and the other BY the
-ii!t!ry Affairs Committee, were assured
to-day.
The sculptor's letter Of last nssht to
'le President reiteratins his charges
sad attacking War Department offic,als
for hampering him in his efforts to es-
tabl'sh the truth not only caused the
Senate committee to determine to pur.
sIc its own investigation regardless of
tne Department Of Justice inquiry, but
'so brought a renewal Of the attack on
the aircraft programme from both sides
o. the Capitol.
Senator Chamberlain made known the
determination Of his committee to con-
Gact its own investigation in a fiery
speech which stirred the Senate and
which was provocative Of a debate in
which more Of the delinQuencies and de.
lays were gone over. At the same time
". c. Potter. chief OF the equipment
division Of the Signal Corps, was testi-
tying before the House committee to
facts which were to some degree a sub.
sanitation Of some OF the charges made
BY Borylum.
Baker II Confident.
Secretary Baker. who was also before
the House committee. despite the fusii.
!ade now going on wore an air OF con-
fdence substantially tho same as he
"a q mi nf
The hope expressed in the Presidents
letter to Senator Thomas that the
Borglum charges would be Investigated
~ the constituted authorities Of the
Government was to some extent re-
sponsible for the decision Of the Senate
committee to 20 on with its investiga.
ton.
While the President may have had
reference only to the Department Of
showed plainly that they considered
themselves constituted ~ well to under
take an investigation. Attorney General
Gregory upon leaving the Cabinet meet
ing to-day declared that his investiga-
ton would be an exhaustive one and
that he already had the Borglum and
'he Marshall reports. Assistant Attor-
Hey.General Frierson. he said. had been
assigned to conduct the investigation.
Malfeasance to he Sought.
"Mr Borglum." said the Attorney
General. will have every opportunity
10 make good his charges. We are not
going to investigate the merits OF the
Liberty motor. but we shall determine
whether or not there has been NAL
'casance such as has been charged
1t was intimated to-day at the White
House that the President had been dis
appointed at the failure to pin Mr..
Gorglum 10 anything definite. The
sorglum report was turned over by him
% the Snowden Marshall committee
which apparently failed to substantiate
his charges. though its report has never
been made public by the President.
1t was admitted before the House
that much time and large sums Of money
have been lost In experimentation with
the Liberty motor. when this Govern
ment might have made itself effective
within the first year OF the war by
adaptation Of foreign motors.
A contract has recently been cancelled
for approximately 5000 Liberty motors
and the factories assigned to their pro-
duction will make French motors Of the
Busatti and Hispano-Suissa type.
Liberty Motor Too Heavy.
Production of Liberty motors will con-
,nue. but that motor has been found
unsuitable for fighting and pursuit
-.anes. These motors will be used in
lhe bombing and heavier planes. both by
t".s Government and its allies. but be-
,aIse of its weight and the weight OF
lAe plane which supports It the Liberty
motor is not adaptable to actual hght-
ir2 conditions.
These two foregoing facts also were
developed at the executive session OF the
House committee.
This country has in France to-day
Soout l.200 airplancs, but the majority
of them are training planes and are OF
English and French manufacture. There
are only few dozen Liberty motors In
France
Tle aviation service has expended or
contracted for the entire $74o.000.00O
appropriation given by Congress at the
last session, and to-day presented de-
t'iency estimate to the House commit
tee.
FOR this huge sum there have been
l'"duced in this country about 5000
planes within thS1last year. Nearly all
OF this number are training planes. and
very few are equipped with Liberty
motors. William c. Potter was quoted
o. saying to the House committee to.
'ay that the Liberty motor y still In
TIC process Of refinement and perfec-
ton"
Much Tlme Lost.
simultaneously Mr. Potter. civilian
lat recently assigned to the equipment
ID H. told the House committee that un-
ques,onably q great deal OF valuable
tine has been sacrificed In expeEimenta-
lion and necessarily large sums OF money
have likewise been sacrihced which
might have been saved by the earlier
i mufactume Of foreign motors-to which
tie war Department has now come.
Ai,cr the hearing the House commit
T." described the Liberty motor as "A
sooI, honest motor. unsuited. however.
Eu.iIiuucd nm Third PNHA,