The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-23
AERO PR0BERS
FIND WASTEAND
PROFITEERING
Senator's Hint Criminal
Culpability-Only 601
Planes Sent by Aug. 1.
CABINET HEAD Is URGED
Lives Needlessly Sacrificed and
Approved European Types
Ignored.
CABINET HEAD Is URGED
Special Despatch TO The sux.

Special Despatch 10 The Sun
WAsHINGToN. Aug. 22.-The waste Of
many millions Of dollars and the need
less sacrifice of the lives Of many Amer
lean fiers, heartbreaking delays and in
excusable blunders in Americas aircraft
programme were laid bare to-day by the
rerort of the aircraft subcommittee of
the Senate Military Committee. which
has been investigating since May.
Broad hints at the criminal liability
Of those resposible are made. with the
pointed statement that that phase OF the
aircraft troubles is in the hands of the
additional investigators headed by
Charles E. Hughes.
Liberty Motor Controlled All.
Summarizing in detail the grave
faults which have been found the report,
which was prepared by Senators Thomas
fCol). Reed tMo.), Smith (Ga.). New
tInd) and Frelinghuysen IN. j.. sets
forth these three cardinal reasons for
the disappointing results:
That the airplane programme was
largely placed in the control of the great
automobile and other manufacturers,
who were ignorant Of aeronautical prob
lens
These manufacturers undertook the
impossible task of creating a motor
which could be adapted to all classes of
flying craft. 1t Is not too much to say
that our airplane programme has been
largely subordinate to the Liberty motor.
I'VE failed at the beginning of the
war to, adopt the common sense plan OF
reproducing the most approved types Of
European machines in as great numbers
ss possible. This should have been car
ried on coincident with the production Of
the Liberty motor. This sound policy
has very recently. but after lamenta-
bic lapse of time. been adopted
Calling attention to the fact that on
June a year ago public announcement
was made that a great fleet of $4,000
machines was about to be created and
that huge appropriations were made, the
report declares that "a substantial part"
Of the first appropriation Of S640.O00.0O0
was wasted, while the appropriation had
been exhausted and further appropr.a-
ton Of ssst.304.75s has been made. This
summary OF some OF the aspects of
failure" in the airplane programme APP
pears in the report
How situation Now stands.
While an army of three and one-half
million has been raised. the aircraft sit
uation rs as follows:
IA) Six hundred and one De Havi-
land Is had been embarked for France
up 10 Angus; /. 1918.
OF these. 67 nad reached the front by
July /.
On August ! squadron Of IS DE
Haviland As few over the German lines.
Details,of Its performance have not been
received. Tho character and construc-
ten Of the DE Haviland As Is further
discussed in paragraph Cd and in the
body OF the report.
'Bl We have not a single American
made chasse Cor plane of attack upon
the batt.e front.
,C) We have not a single American
made heavy bombing plane upon the bat
lie rron,.
tD) We have not developed and put
n quantity production successful
Chase or fighting plane.
Cd Our attempt to create a fighting
plane was centred in an attempt to adapt
the Bristol fighter and De Haviland 10
the Liberty motor. The Bristol was.
without sufficient tests. put in quantity
production. more than SO. 100000 was ex-
pended, and the lives OF several gallant
mel were sacrificed. when the machine
was condemned and its manufacture dis
Continued.
~ The Standard J training machine
was equipped with the Hall-Scott engine
and put in quantity production. After
more than 1900 had been manufacture
et cost OF s6,000,000 the machine thus
equipped was condemned as dangerous
and placed in Storage.
tG) The Spad Is a chasse or fighting
plane OF the highest type, Early In Sep
tember ar oral order was given to the
Curtiss Aircraft Company for the manu-
facture Of 1000 of these machines.
Work was at once begun and dra wings
practically completed.
usins spad experts" Rejected.
On September ~ Col Clark and
Major Vincent. one OF the inventors OF
lhe Liberty motor. concluded that the
machine could not be operated with
Liberty motor.
October the contract was cancelled,
The reason given being that the single
seat fighter was regarded as obsolete.
But the fact Is that on April 23. 1918.
contract was let to the Curtiss COM
pany to build 1000 single seat nghters.
known as the s Z s. which Is the Eng
hsh equivalent Of the French spad.
In addition to this our Government is
now using upon the battlefront every
epad machine II can secure from the
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III