The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-05-16
Sculptor Trying to Find Loophole to Escape Ex-
 posture He Sees Coming
CLAIMS HIS WITNESSES ARE SPIRITED AWAY
Admits Sending Telegram to Mix and Then Attempts Long Ex- planation-Gibson Loses
 His Job

Washington. May 15.-Gutzoa- Bor- glum sent to Senator Brandegee of Connecticut tonight part of the evil dence he desires placed in the Senate record in answer to the charge that \ he sought to form a private airpIane corporation to take government con tracts while he was Investigating air craft production at the invitation of President Wilson. It was in the form of long letter reiterating and am- pIifying his denial of the charge, nc- companied by affidnvits from Hugh C. Gibson, nm emplOye of the British war mission at New York, and Benjamin Harris.
 Gibson, named as associated with the sculptor in the proposed private corpora ton, swore in his affidavit that in De- cember Borglum had intended to engage With him in commercial enterprise, but after receiving authority from the Presi- dent to make an investigation Borgium withdrew and they had no further ne- gotiations Harris, said to have been selected to represent Borgium in the pro- posed corporation, denied that Borglum ever had asked him to become interested Tn an aeronautic company, either on his own behalf or as representative
 In his letter the sculptor said he had just been informed that Gibson had been suspended from connection with the Brit ish mission at the request of the war de- -partment, although he was a mighty valuable and necessary expert. He also declared every effort was being made to prevent him from getting affidavits that several of his witnesses had been ssum marily shipped away from Washington" and that others were pleading with him nor 10 involve them for business reasons.
 MIX HAD. TALE OF WOE'
 Discussing i'll detail the telegrams put into the Senate record with the state ment of Kenyon w Mix of the Dodge ManuIacturlng company, accusing him Of negotiating with Mix for the organiza tion of the airplane company, Borglun1 sald the nrst message was sent five or six days before he had any intimation that the President desired his services. The others, he asserted, had no connec- ton With the first and were written for the purpose of learning more from Mix about his troubles with the aircraft board He said when he came to Wash ingtonsAIix began his tale of woe. j, and
 
 Mix had stated" wrote the sculptor that he had been bitterly disappointed at the inactivity of the aircraft board and placed before me a lengthy typed statement criticizing the department in the extreme His document was, in fact. tine first sweeping written statement that was placed before me when l. took up the investigation in Washington"
 DEEDS DISSATISFIED
 this interview Roreyl11no iJ AT;x gave record of his experiences at the aircraft board, and asserted that he had in the past pulled off two crooked deals for Colonel Deeds of the signal corps. The letter con- tinued:
 Mix, being interested in 1aminated swood for airplanes and in Washington ! for the purpose of seeking contract { had an appointment on the following %morning with Colonel Deeds That Afternoon he returned in very diff < ferent mood, nervous, excited and yet apparently pleased. He said he wished sthe return of his statement on the { ground that there were some dates in sit that he wanted to correct, that he swould return it to Suplee and that| Suplee would return it to me. He did snot return it. Meantime, Mix told me { that now the government had given him enough to occupy his entire ca 2 paclty With this was very much de- s slighted, and so stated I indorsed lami- snated wood for it's durability. simplici- %ty and speed in construction. T shall give no more time to this n sred herring they have dragged across { the trail of the investigation and add sonly this-that all the telegrams Mix soffers. together with my letters fur : snished by the Secretary of War and General Squires. antedate my work as and indicate knowledgej -and enthusiasm in touch with the sub ject l claim all with pride and chal- 1enge any one not bent on islander and deception. after possessing all of tthese documents. some of them for nine | months, to read honestly into them any of the charges made. except with the 1 malice born out of the need of the | hour" sN&
 Senator Brandegee said he would 1 make an effort tomorrow to have the l letters and affidavits inserted in the l record.