New-York tribune., 1918-03-29
German Agents Held Up
Whole Air Programme,
Senators Charge
Machines "Damaged'
In the Curtiss Plant
Steel Supports Stuffed With
Lead, He Declares; Gov
ernment Control Urged
[Staf Correspondence


WASHINGTON, March Fisherman
agents in the Curtss aeroplane plant
at Buffalo, by tampering with aero
planes, have sent several American
flyers to their deaths and caused a
hold-up in the whole aeroplane pro-
gramme, as all of the machines had to
be gone over carefully to determine if
there had been further tampering, Sem
ator Lee S. Overman, of North Caro-
lima, charged on the floor of the Senate
to-day.
Mr.. Overman declared that he would
raise his former statement that there
were 100000 German spies in this coun-
try, made at the time the espionage bill
was pending, to 100000 spies.
The government, he declared, should
take over the Curtiss plant and dis
miss every man with German name.
Only Americans of undoubted loyalty
should be permitted to work in such
plants, he asserted
Machines Tempered Witt,
Holding up parts Of an aeroplane in
his hand, Nh. Overman showed his
colleagues how small hole had been
bored in the steel. just where one Of
the wires attaching the wings to the
plane body is fastened, and lead in .
serted instead Of the steel. As a re-
suit the wing was liable to crur,plc
up the moment any strain was put
upon it, and the machine would crash
tc the ground.
=. There came into my Office said
Senator Cverman. "a very prominent
man in the United States, who is on
the detective force He brought in
with him this bracket which ] hold in
my hand. 1t is the bracket that goes
on either side of the Bristol fighting
machine. 1t holds the radiator rods
which go through here Indicating the
rvet holes). He brought me this to
show what German spies had done
Il stated upon this floor when the
espionage bill was up, and | was criti
clsed for making cXtravagant state
mcnts, that there are 100000 spies in
say that | believe that instead of l00,-
coo there are 100000
What has been done? Why have
not these fighting planes been sent to
France? Have we carried out our
schedule in furnishing on April / 200
or 800 Bristol fighting machines? That
was the contract. They were to be
furnished. Why was it not done?
Because German spy, as any Senator
can see. had cut the steel in two and
filled it with lead and then painted it
over, and when the first machine was
tried out it fell to the ground.
Would Weed Out Plant
"a British officer, an inspector of
that great plant, in order to see what
was the matter, found that this piece
of steel had been interfered with. That
delayed the building of the Bristol
machine more than two months. Why?
Because every machine had to be ex-
amlned These pieces had TO be re-
made. An investigation lad to be made
because the men making the machines
dld not know how these machines had
been intcrfered with.
"lf | were the President or the Sec
retary of War would commander the
Curtiss plant and turn out all the men
employed there, and replace them with
loyal Americans. Three of the leading
men in that plant have German names.
make no charge against them but we
do know that spies are in that plant.
ana thcy have delayed the furnishing
or the Bristol machines to Pershing's
army"
Senator Ovcrman said aftcrward that
the information was brought to him by
an official of the Intelligence Service
of the War Department. He said the
department Of Justice secret service
knew nothing about it,
Justice Department Assailcd
Senator Ovcrman is the ranking
Democratic member of the Judiciary
Committee and has been in charge Of
most of the legislation dealing with
espionage and the enemy alien ques-
ton. His position to-day was taken
by other Senators to be sharply criti
cal of the laxity of the Department of
Justice in its handling Of the enemy
alien situation.
The Tribune has demanded time
after time that the personnel employed
in sucn plants should be gone over
more carefully, and possible enemies
wecdcd out