The sun., 1918-04-11
Military Committee Finds
Production of Combat
Planes Is Failure.
PEOPLE ALSO MISLED
Liberty Motor Pronounced
Only Partial Success
Its Use Restricted.
SIGNAL CORPS BLAMED
William c. Potter Mentioned
for Prospective Post-Stet-
tinius to Supervise.
Spscioi Despdfch 10 TINS Sry.

WASHINGTON, April 1o.-"Tne pro-
duction Of combat planes in the
United States for use In actual war
mas thus far been a substantial failure
ard constitutes n most serious disap-
pointment in our war preparations"
This paragraph from the body OF
the report OF the Senate Cornmittee
on Military Affairs, submitted to-day
to the Senate. constitutes the cfux Of
'he Indictment which the committee.
after weeks OF investigation and the
examination OF many witnesses
brings against the Administration and
those particularly charged with carry
ing out the vast aviation programme
upon which Congress has already
spent or appropriated more than
billion dollars and which many had
hoped was to be the decisive factor
in the war this year. A..,
The report Of the majority OF the
committee adopted by vote o: eight to
six has finally brought to head the
bAfiing situation regarding the present
status OF the aviation programme and
hxed the blame on the system Of un-
concentrated authority end unCoordi-
mated energies permitted to develop
under Secretary Of War Baker.
Liberty Motors Exploitation.
The Liberty motor. as was forecast in
THE Sun OF Tuesday. the committee has
found to be only partial success In It's
present form. The giitterins claim OF
the Administration ofiicisls as to the
,.niversality of its uses Is absolutely con-
futed.
A minority report. signed by three
Senators, disputes the findings Of the
majority with regard to the present
status Of the programme in general and
with some statements In respect OF the
Liber,y motor. The majority report has
started a discussion in Congress. Repre-
sentative Caldwell IN. " in a speech
IN the House presented figures which
he said ne obtained from Ma jo--Gen.
Squ:er. Chief Signal Oficcr, and which
we're completely ~ variance with the
majority report.
This report recommends that there be
Immediate concentration Of authority
Gnder single and individual head re-
onsb,e directly to the President OF the
L!ited States. with a corps OF expert
stan men IN every department and phase
ot tho work. on airplane construction.
production and transportation But 1t
'oes no; formulate or suggest for the
present the introduction Of legislation
with thi. concentration in view. 1t will
await the report ~ the Snowdsn Mar
snaIi committee or investigation re-
nentiy appointed ny tho President before
taking any action In this particular.
IL has come 10 'ne attention OF the
members OF the oonirHtee from source
OF unquestlonaoIe authori'y tnat tho
Snowden MaTsha'i committee VIII advo-
cate ana urge concentration o! au-
tnor,ty aions eSaf'ls inc tInes "n'ch 'hc
report suggests as ADVISABLE.
r.. ro-u,..
Summarized the findings OF the com.
mittee are:
That the Liberty motor IL Of limited
usefulness except for machines Of mod
crate speed and size. For the lighter
high speed aeht planes ard the ex-
,raordinarily heavy combat planes II
IL no, suitable except that with modi-
hcations In tho drive" II can be ac-
r,mnodsted 10 the heavy planes.
Tbat Of % 200 Liberty motors or.
t,-ed 122 have been finished for the
army and I12 for the navy. but only
four have thus far been sent abroad.
Some ~ the cor,nlet ed machines have
had TO be altered, and the production