The sun., 1918-03-29
SPIES DELAYING
U. S. AIRCRAFT
Charge Made by Senator Over
man-Drastic Action
Urged.
SQUIER TELLS OF PLANS
Denies Failure Of Liberty Mo-
tor-ShOws Progress
Made.
SQUIER TELLS OF PLANS
SpecioI Desp1tch TO THE SrS.

wAsHINoroS. March IS. Americas
faltering aircraft production problem
furnished the Senate and the Senate
Military Committee a busy day. There
was hardly speech on the floor that did
not touch upon that problem. The Mill
tary Committee held two sessions. an I'M
important morning gathering. which
sifted the question of methods Of pub
licity for aviation. and busy secret
session in the afternoon. at which Major
Gen. George o. Squier. Chief Signal Of
ficer and military head OF aviation, told
of the plans and the programme to make
America preemincnt in the air.
IT is understood that Gen. Squier gave
the committee facts and figures TO die
prove many of the statements concern
ing lack Of progress. and that lie showed
that the Liberty motor had achieved sig
nal success: also that he insisted that
Gen. Pershing now had adequate aircraft
for his immediate needs and that train
ing planes were being turned out in
great quantities while the flow OF combat
planes from the factories was about to
begin.
Bracket Filed Through.
The sensation Of the day came early
in the Senate session when Mr.. Over
man North Carolina) produced and ex-
hibited a steel bracket from one OF the
Bristol battle planes built by the Curtiss
company which had been secretly rem
dered structurally inefficient by Ger
man spy. The bracket was Of sheet steel
wrought into the form suitable for at
tachment to the body Of an aeroplanc.
At one corner of the device rivet hole
through which It was intended to attacl,
the guy braces to the planes themselves
had been filed through and soft lead sub
| st!tuted for the chilled steel SO that when
any strain was put upon the machine II
would tear loose. releasing the planes
from their proper rigidity and sending
the aircraft to certain destruction.
Senator Overman related his story. IL
Illustrating IL with the steel bracket it.
! self. which he had brought to his desk
said hc: There came into my ofiice a
, very prominent man in the United States
who is on the detective force. lie
brought with him this bracket which
hold In my hand. II is the bracket that
goes on either side OF the Bristol fighting
machine. II holds the radius rods. which
60 through here"
| Gtves InfOrmant's Name,
Senator Overman held up the device
| SO that Senators might see the tori
steel at its corner where the lead had
been substituted for the stronger metal
in a space Just wide enough to permit
the guy to escape Immediately strain
was applied. Later Senator Overmar
told the reporters that his Informant
was Mr.. Leigh of the intelligence de-
partment of the Aviation Service.
| He brought me this to show what
German spies have done" said the Sen,
ator, who continued: ~ stated upOI
this floor when the espionage bill wal
UP, and was criticised for making ex,
travagant statements. that there art
lO0.00 spies in this country. and I an
here to say that l believe that instead
1 Of 1O0, 900 there are 100000"
Senator Overman intimated tha
closer scrutiny would disclose that Ger,
man spy activities had done as much t.
hold back war preparations as had the
deficiencies, inefiiciencies and incompe
tence alleged by the Republican opposi
| ton. III I we're the President or thu
Secretary Of War" ne added, II woulG
commander the Curtiss plant and turr
out an the men employed there and re-
place them with loyal Americana. Thre,
OF the leading men in that plant hav,
| German names. mako no charG,
| Continued ON Third Paoe