New-York tribune., 1918-05-03
The Times Airplane Conspiracy"

position TO lyncn, Wltnoue VI lle1A' any ~
utation that may be needed to explain
our failure more quickly to get into the
war. contains an article OF such ampnca-
tions as seem to us to pass the pounos
Of fair-minded journalism.
In effect, it builds up case that the
delay in the production OF aeroplanes
was the result Of "a conspiracy"
"An organized conspiracy, bold, power
ful numerous made up of men able TO
formulate definite plan. and embracing
within their number men sufhclently
hieh-placed and influential to have the
ear and the confidence of the secretary
Of War"
Brushing aside any thought that there
NAV have been no such failure" OF tne
aeroplane programme as it pictures, The
Tines asks, "What was the motive OF
these conspirators?'' and prints this IN
sinuation:
"Was it their expectation that by mis-
leading the Secretary and the people they
could conceal their failure to produce
aeroplanes for time until they had
pocketed the gains of their profitcerlng
contracts?"
AS this seems an insufficient motive
for such gigantic crime, The Times
i.nagines a still more damning purpose.
1t says:
"If. however it was the chief and act
ual purpose of these conspirators to delay
production, to prevent the construction
of airplanes, to deprive the government
and the army of those eyes of the fight
SO much depends, then all is explained
That is a theory under which all the
facts arrange themselves in orderly and
harmonious relation. If all the persons
in charge of airplane production, with
S1,0O0,00O,000 at their command and
nearly years time to work in, had act
ually desired to produce airplanes, would
they not have produced them? We need
not inquire why anybody should wish to
obstruct the execution of the airplane
production programme That question
answers itself. 1t is answered by a thou
sand strange happenings in American in
dustrial establishments during the last
three years."
In plain words, "The Times" insinu-
alton is that the United States govern
ment, in the War Department and in the
Aircraft Board, was a vile conspiracy to
delay and defeat the aircraft programme
in the interest of Germany. In the
length and breadth of the European
war, in all its four years on either side,
we doubt if any such charge as this has
been made in any country. In plain
terms this charge Is that such men as
General Squier, Mr.. Howard A. Coffin,
at the head of the Aircraft Board, and
such other men as Colonel R. L. Mont
gomery, Colonel Deeds and all the rest
were in effect German spies and German
agents.
If "The Times" charges or insinua-
tions had any basis of fact, it means
that these men ought to be taken out
and shot.
We hold no brief for any of the men
whom "The Tines thus SO wantonly
accuses any more than we did for the
gentlemen in charge of the work at Hog
Island, when their regulations were put
in jeopardy by the astonishing letter
which the President wrote to the At
torney General. It is clear enough that
General Squier was altogether untitled
for the work to which he was assigned;
and it may well have been that in the
dark days Of last winter, when there
seemed not CLEAN Of cheerfulness to
be found anywhere in any government
undertaking, the publicity end Of the
aircraft production indulged in state
ments or predictions that were absurdly
optimistic and quite misleading. AS to
all that we have nothing to say.
But when "The Times" goes further
and covertly charges that such men as
Mr.. Coffin, Colonel Montgomery and
their like were party to Conspiracy"
to deceive the people and to delay air
plane production, it simply goes beyond
the bounds Of sanity. There are no men
in the whole nation who have given more
freely Of their time, their energy and
their enthusiasm than these same men
whom "The Times" would brand as
"conspirators."
The whole Of this imaginary soon
spiracy" seems to be based upon the
persistent and insistent efforts Of the
Aeronautical Society to discredit the
airplane production work.
The Tribune cannot pretend to say
that there were not grave errors Of judg-
,nent and perhaps serious lack Of
administrative decision in the aeroplane
work thus far. But it has at least done
what "The Times" does not seem to
hase felt worfhAdoing even to the slen-