New-York tribune., 1918-05-13
Evidence That He Was
Framed Up" Will Be
Shown, He Says
Sculptor Accuses
Secretary Baker
War Department Prevented
His Investigation, He
Charges


Borglum. storm centre Of the aviation
controversy, made public tonight an
other letter to President Wilson deny
ing that he had betrayed the Presl-
dents confidence, renewing his asser-
tions of grave misconduct in the gov
gernment aircraft production organi-
2ation, and insisting that the Senate
Military Committee should conduct
openly and thoroughly the investga-
ton which, he says, he was prevented
from making "by the War Depart
ment under Secretary Baker"
In regard to the documents put into
the Senate record Friday, designed to
show that the sculptor attempted to
capitalize his friendship with the Pres
dcnt by secretly organizing corpora
ton to produce airplanes, the letter
says Senator Brandegee, of Connecti-
cut, will submit to the Senate Tuesday
or Wednesday detailed evidence and
afidavits relating to "this deliberate
frame-up.'
at is a matter of the gravest con-
Germ to me-" it adds, that credence
could be given to charges of such a
nature, or that they could have been
in your possession, and / have re-
ceived no intimation of the falsehood
until Mr.. Marshall intimated that
there was some sort of charge or
charges Of disloya]ty to you. This is
so unthinkable that | dismissed and
declined to even discuss them"
"The publicity of your letters to me,
through wide and artfully arranged
and widely advertised charges against
gether with the deliberate interfer-
ences by departmental aids you placed
at my service, Stanley King and Gen
eral Squier, Stanley King acting di-
rectly under the Secretary of War, to-
gether with other subordinates deput-
ed to interfere with the results of my
Investigation, constitute very griev-
ous chapter in Americas effort to get
production of airplanes."
Says Charges Are Untrue
Mr.. Borglum repeated his published
answer to the charges and continues:
ut is absurd to state that PROF. Ger
mans are clamoring for Investigations
while the Secretary Of War is party
to statements, untrue and unfounded
issued to deceive the nation and serv-
ing no other possible purpose except
to warn Germany to hasten her own
alrplane production as We are forever
and forever just at the peak of pro-
duction.'
the country has group of men been
given Sc completely nations re-
sources, together with the Administra-
tion and the peoples confidence, as
have the aircraft group. and never has
such confidence been more wantonly
abused
II refer here to Major General
Deeds and Colonel Montgomery. These
civilian and military members appear
everywhere in the programme planned
to meet our military needs-and they
appear everywhere in the deliberate
and elaborate machinery that placed
and, held the colossal contracts among
few-they appear everywhere in the
fine network of falsehood and camou-
flage, and they include Mr.. Baker as
their partner in the common state
ments to the public-they deliberately
lied to you and framed up their state
ments. particularly their failures, and
they directly are responsible for no
engines, no planes. no propellers, and
our vanished appropriations.
Had there not been this malicious
effort to discredit me with you and i'm
pugn nv honor on the floor of the Sen.
ate ! might have, with the rest OF
America, though with shame and
anger, still been holding my peace
waiting and watching for the inter
minable shifting from one department
to the other of responsibilities that car
lie only at the door of the executive
members of the Aircraft Board.
Says He Was Slandered
"The scurrilous slander by Deeds's
friend was a foul and unfair blow
in the circumstances of its importance
and its purpose to invalidate me, dis
credit me and give it abnormal public
interest and unusual publicity.
"This, Mr.. President, compels me tc
demand that the investigation by the
Military Committee of the Senate shall
be complete in the matters relating te
aircraft production; but as these
charges have been brought before the
Senate the interference by the Wal
Department under Mr. Baker prevents
me from securing proper evidence.
II Know you will agree with me ir
this, that | have right to demane
IT, IS you know no harm can come te
any one but those who are guilty.
u amloyal to you as our Presiden,
and shall remain so; but | am no,
loyal to nor can ! support men OF
methods inimical to our country:
good. planned to deceive you and the
nation and discredit US in the eyes OF
the world'