The Republican journal., 1918-04-18
WEIGHED AND FOUND WANTING.

Several weeks ago the Aeronautlcal
club appointed a committee to lnvestl-
gate the aeroplane situation. The COM
mittee in due time reported that from the
beginning the truth had not been told
about what had been done aud what had
not been done Secretary of War Baker
was openly charged with having made
false statements regarding the existing
deplorable conditions. This was very
serious charge and we refrained from
comment upon it, preferring to await the
findings of the Senate Committee which
was taking testimony and making search
ing inquiries. That committee has re-
ported and the report shows that the
charges made by the committee OF the
Aeronautic club were true. The report
of the Senate committee says that the
Government officials have misrepresented
the situation and have misled the public,
and alleges representation and lnde-
cislon." Delay is charged not only In
manufacturing Liberty motors and ma
chine parts but in the training of fliers as
we'll The Senate committee suggests
that building airplanes be taken entirely
out of the hands of the Signal Corps and
this suggestion implies that the Signal
Corps has proved to be entirely inefficient
if not worse than that The committee
also suggests that one man admlnlstra-
cor of airpane manufacture be appointed
by the President, to be assisted by expert
engineers and designers. This sugges-
ton implies that the present engineers
and designers are not competent The
committee further suggest that ''no man
who has any near or remote interest in
airplane manufacture be permitted to act
as adviser or be in authority" This lat
ter suggestion implies that suspicion, at
least, of grating was aroused in the
course of the investigation. In an official
bulletin issued as long ago as the 18th of
last September, Mr.. Baker said that the
liberty motor had passed its final test,
The Senate committee report states that
the Liberty motor SIS just emerging from
the development or experimental stage
and lis not designed for, nor can it be
used in the swift, single-seated fighting
mae hines" The committee found that
%, 500 of these motors have been ordered,
but only l22 have been completed for the
army, l42 for the navy and only four
have been sent overseas. Some Liberty
motors already delivered are being altered
80 overcome defects. The committee
further finds that 'the production of COM
bat planes has thus far been substantial
failure" We had no designs of our own,
neither did we adopt any of the European
designs until months after we entered the
wal The committee states that the
largest and most powerful bombing ma
chimes carries men, 8 machine guns and
a heavy load of bombs. designs of
this plane which had been used with
NJ arked success by the British were
offered to our officials as early as May, |
1917 The Signal Corps finally decided !
upon the manufacture of a number OF
parts about Jan. !, 1913. Officials testify
that they do not xpect completion of the
first set of parts in this country before
June, 1918, IN burst of eloquence the
other day III the Democratic convention
at Portland the chairman said, "now our .
hand is on the plow" Whose hand? Is
1t that of Secretary Baker over in Eu- /
rope, The time has arrived when the .
people want to know who is to be held
responsible not only for the present I
shameful conditions above brought plain
iy nto view but they want the men who
are TO blame for them to be sent into re-
tirement and to know that the man
holding the plow is working earnestly .
and effectively with the team which is
pulling it. We have had enough of boast .
ang, of planning, of delay and indecision.
We want efficiency. We want to see the
end Of Bakerism.