Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-11

wished me to meet on the following
day. He told me that Mr.. Borgium Was .s
that II was up to Mr.. Borglum to e4-
plain for himself what they WERE
Calls Friend Into Conference.
When he was satisfied that his sus,
Dicions were we'll founded. Mix caleo
his fathers friend, F. s. Haroesey u
OF the facts were laid before Mr..
CONN. but the source OF the 1n1oI-
marion was concealed. Later the facts
were disclosed fully to Mr.. CONN anu
Gen. SQuier. NJ
MIX in Mt. Hardesty's office. and ne
notes that while he was Writing i! a
letter arrived for him. copy OF when
he attaches This letter is on the STA
tionery of the British ministry OF
munitions of war in U. S. A. Hhosr
date of New York. January 16, and ao-
dressed to Mr.. Mix. 1t says:
"Dusenburg states that 1t is ltallan
about $50 "a peculiar mark here prob
ably means horsepower. referring 10
an airplane engine)" being built to spe,
cial order of government Y. >. anu
."rhis looks interesting, no doubt you
and Mr.. B. can get the rest OF the m
Hope to hear as to how you are pro-
crossing
The letter is signed Hugo c. Gibson.
- In concluding his statement, MIX says
that on January 20 he calied on wee
president Marshall and laid full detaiis Oh
fhe transactions with Borglum before him.
The following day the papers were re-
turned to Mix with Mr.. Marshaiis as
surance that he had taken the matter up
with Secretary Baker, and that II Woulo
.be attended to in detail"
What Other Documents Show.
Other documents. dated as far back as
>September IA, show that Borsium at
that time was working on afrplane lnven-
TONS A letter from BorGlum to Gen.
ESquier. regarding an a1rplane brake oe-
vice, also was sent to the Presloent- IN
postscript longer than the original let
ter Borglum talks of two new forms OF
planes which he said he had perfected as
TO their maj or problems
= at believe he says, land am prepared
to make good that belief. that twenty OF
INV battle planes, forty of my fighting
planes and twenty of the smaller, swift
scouting machines could be built and de-
nvered to the government WITHIN SIX
months. Such a feet could deliver lO0. 900
.pounds of high explosives on either Zee
-brugge or Helgoland or kiel canal nightly
for a week without especial danger to
Itself
:. II will go further. I will. II the gov
eminent will order such fleet, agree
to deliver such a fleet a thousand miles
by continuous flight from the base OF
manufacture ready for duty and pro-
vide bonds for the faithful performance
OF all agreements.
Described as "Tube Planes"
= This project was offered before Borg
lum had interested himself in the &C
stivities of the Signal Corps and air
board, and he describes his planes as
''tube planes" Apparently all OF the
correspondence was sent to the Signal
forna nd the proiect was turned down,
1t is said, by Col. Deeds.
In transmitting the letter to the Pres
1dent, Borglum took occasion to object
to the adoption for the United States
Of "the clumsy, unmanageable tri-
plane" which. he said, was being Wig
orously exploited. Presumably this re
ferred to the Italian Caproni which
was being exhibited about that time.
IN a letter to Secretary Baker on the
same subject Borglum said he desired
to do what I can at this time to stop
the United States from buying OF or
dering the lum f.s1ias y UNCOMFORTABLE
I'VE can do better" he wrote. 'in-
fants though we are. I want to pro-
test against any great outlay OF money
for the Italian planes II we YEA can create create
ment to do the same thing they pro-
pose"
In August Borglum wrote Prof. W.
r. Durand, chairman of the national
of certain models which he had sought
to have made at the Massa chusetts In
.stitute of Technology. His original
tunnel, the letter shows. and it adds
That he had made smaller models. A
message from C. H. Peabody. dated
May 3, 1918, is attached, showing that
these smaller models never were sub.
United at the institute for test.
suplee's Statement.
.: The statement by suplee. in the War
Department official files. follows:
:. "1. That in all the relations concern
company for the manufacture of air
planes. during which I was present at
several conferences with the projectors
- Of this enterprise. as consulting engi-
neer. desire: to state there was never
any other understanding of this project
hut that Mr.. Borglum was to be repre-
scented In the corporation by Mr.. Har-
ris. and that his sole asset in the trans
friendship and association with Presi-
dent Wilson, whom, he stated. he could
do anything he wanted with.
- "2. As a further asset in this COM
mercial venture. Mr.. Rorglum stated
and gave every one concerned in this
matter to understand, that his position
with the aircraft production board and
-sthe aerial section of the Signal Corps
tain for their use plans and technical
"details which this company could use
and thus save considerably, both in
time and money. in beginning opera
atoms.
= Mr.. Gibson Classed as Partner.
"3. That one of the partners Of this
concern was to have been Mr.. Hugo c.
Gibson, who is connected with the
British ministry of war in the United
States. Offices at 100 Broadway, New
York city. who proposed that certain
patents which he controlled would be
used by this company, and who also
stated that he would be able to In.
fluence orders for airplanes IN such a
way that this company might receive
The benefit therefrom