New-York tribune., 1918-05-12
The Presidents Isolation

The evidence as to Mr. Gutzon Borg
lums activities, given out by the War
Department and read into the record by
Senator Thomas on Friday, completes
and frames one of the most curious epi-
sodes in our part of the war. Let us look
at a few dates.
The testimony of Mr. Mix and Mr.
Supplee, which, we believe, is not dis
puted, is that the negotiations between
Mr.. Borglum and the Dodge Manufacture
ing Company began in January. At that
time Mr.. Borglum was bombarding the
President with the most outrageous
charges against General Squier and the
Aircraft Production Board. One of these
letters was dated December Is, and so
aroused the President that he gave to
Mr.. Borglum the sweeping commission
of January 2 in which, after promising
Mr.. Borglum every aid in his investiga-
ton, he added this remarkable 1nstruc-
ton:
an the event of any difference of judg-
ment between you (and Secretary Baker),
which seems to me impossible, would be
most happy to have a report from you
personally to me on any phase of the
matter which remains in the slightest de-
gree doubtful in your mind"
Mr.. Mix testifies that the negotiations
continued for some time after this, and,
becoming suspicious of Mr. Borglum's in
tentions, he, in company with an attor-
ney, laid the whole matter before Mr..
Marshall, Vice-President of the United
States, who reported to him on the fol-
lowing day that he had put the matter
before the Secretary of War. This was
on January 21. Mr.. Mix likewise dis
closed the whole case at the same time to
Mr.. Coffin, Colonel Deeds and Colonel
Montgomery, of the Aircraft Board.
This means that great many persons
in the Administration, from Vice-Presi-
dent Marshall and Secretary Baker
down, had full knowledge of the docu-
ments which the War Department now
makes public. 1t must speedily have
been known to a great many others.
Yet about this same day we find Mr..
Borglum placing in the hands of the
President a report on the aeronautic stu
ation in which he repeats his violent ac-
cusations Of "a chain of dishonesty and
disorder" and speaks of "the unhappy
men who have crept into the regular
army officers uniform and who will get
in time the regular army officers court
martial" On February l the President
sends this report to Secretary Baker, and
is so concerned about it that he writes:
my Dear Baker: Here is Mr.. Borg
lum's preliminary report. Is there not
some one entirely disconnected from aero
nautics and from those who are prom-
nent in carrying out the aeroplane pro-
gramme whom you can ask to go over this
thing with an unbiased mind and give us
has naive impressions of it ?"
On March Is the President is still ap-
parently in ignorance of the Mix-Supplee
documents, for on that date we find him
writing to Mr.. Borglum
My Dear Mr. Borglum: | have YOUR
letter of March II and thank you for it.
am writing in great haste to say that
the whole aircraft matter is undergoing a
very thorough review
On March 20 this condition seems still
unchanged, for the President again
writes:
My Dear Mr.. Borglum: In view of
your telegram of yesterday | am very
glad to explain to you what my telegram
to you meant. tsmeant this, that have
now instituted a very systematic inquiry
into the whole aviation situation and
think 1t wise that all processes of inves-
tigation should be in the charge and un-
der the direction of the gentlemen to
whom ! have committed this task"
1t is not until April Is that the Presl-
dent is moved to write the formal letter
to Mr.. Borglum repudiating him as "an
official investigator" In the meantime
the correspondent of "The New York
World obtains permission from the
White House to the War Department to
give out the Borglum charges, and on
March 20 and Fl "The World" spews the