El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-11-01

more than S6.OOO,OOO. The Ford
Motor company, on contracts for
5000 Liberty motors, the report
estimates Will make n profit Of
more than S5.OOO.OOO on an in
Nestment Of not more than SILL
100000. The Fisher BOry corpora
ton with an investment OF $780,
900 and government financing of
S2.OO0,OO0, the report says, esti-
mated to make a profit o. S3.-
100000.
The Packard Motor company. with
calculated investment Of S1I,S0S, 900
and a contract for 5000 Liberty mo-
tors, is estimated to be about 10 re-
al4ze profits Of S6,f5o.0Oo on II
months work The Lincoln Motor
company. with paid in capital Of $780,
600 and investment of S7,l5O,OQO, OF
which S3.fe0,0O0 represents items on
which the government pays 40 percent
depreciation, is expected to have in
prospect or in hand profits Of ST.
10000
Division Badly Organized.
For a year after the country en- .
tered the war. the report says, the
equipment division Of the signal corps
Of the army was badly organized.
with "A host OF sections and depart
ments with illdefined functions. ere
ating disorder and confusion. rather
than sustained, well directed and ex-
pert effort"
Hundreds Of flying cadets. the
report says, were held ut trimming
camps during the early months OF
the war without facilities for
training. because there was n
failure in delivery of training
planes.
The chief actual waste of the orig
inal appropriation Of S540,OO0,0O0,
which subsequently was Increased,
he IN a
ment Of two types OF airplanes-one
Of them the much discussed Bristol
and the failure to take advantage Of
salvage from the abandonment
"s24,OO0,0OO Of WastaEe-"
This waste is computed as aggre-
eating S2f,O00.000.
The officers against whom criminal
proceedings are recommended are:
Lieut. Col J. G. Vincent. former vice
president Of the Packard Motor COM
pany, and now ia charge Of the air
plane division Of the aircraft produc-
ton
Lieut. Col George ". NIixter,
stakeholder in the Curtiss Airplane
and Motor corporation and production
manager Of the aircraft bureau
Lieut. Samuel Fl. Vrooman. jr-, in
spector Of propeller lumber and a
stockholder in the s 3. NroOman
company Of Philadelphia.
Urges Trial for Deeds.
Recommendation also is made that
Col. Edward A. Deeds. a member Of
the original aircraft board. be brought
before a courtmartial for revealing
confidential war department informa-
ton to business associates at Dayton.
Ohio, and for sponsoring "a grossly
statement" last February
about aircraft production
The report exOnerated from any
wrong doing the civilian personnel Of
the aircraft production board.
Gregory Discusses Charges.
Discussing charges that pooling Of
aircraft patent rights in the Manufac-
turers' Aircraft association by leading
contractors hindered progress Of in
ventiOn and restrained trade. at-or-
ney general Gregory, in his letter OF
transmittal. said:
whatever may be said Of the
charge that this arrangement tends to
discourage future inventions. one of
its results vas to enable the govern
ment, through contractors. to secure
the use OF all necessary patents at
fixed cost and with little friction It
was not entered into until the attor-
ney general had given an opinion that
IL did not conflict with the antitrust
law I find no basis for the sugges-
tion that in bringing II about the
members Of the aircraft board were