Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-07
PRESIDENT ISSUES
ORDER FOR PROBE
99F AIR PROGRAM
Directs Department of JUS
tice to Fully Ventilate
Entire Matter.
PROMISES THAT ALL FACTS
PROMISES THAT ALL FACTS
SHALL BE BROUGHT OUT
Former Aircraft Board Chairman
Had Urged Necessity for
Investigation.
CHARGES NOT MADE PUBLIC
Correspondence Given Out Shows
Sculptor Borglum Was Not
Officially Employed.

WASlllNGToN. May 6.-Talk OF graf:
and nismanagemcnt in the national
a!rplane construction program heard
Tor months in Senate debate and Capt.
,ol lobby gossip, eliminated o-day in
a presidential order for AN invcstiga-
ton by the Department, Of Justice AL
most simultaneously 1t became known
that Major -GeneTal Squicr. chief sigma;
officer, ana un,i! recently in direct
charge OF army aviation. had demanded
military court OF inquiry.
rho White House, in announcing
president Wilson's action made public
Il telegram received Saturday from
Howard Coffin, former chairman OF Tic
aircraft board, urging official in
uuir.. that regulations OF Innocent
men may not be ruined" and d series
OF letters aud tclcE-ains exchanged he
tween the President and Gutzon Bor-
GUM. The sculptor. to whom * at
tr.butcd rcspous h!l!ty for statements
that corruption in tho expenditure OF
funs and pro-Gcrmsn intrigue have him
tn-cd airplanc production
There also Was ii letter written ty
the president to-day 10 Senator Thomas.
OF Colorado. a member of the Senate
Military Committee. assuring him that
every instrumentality of the Depart
mcnt OF Justice will be used TO pursue
charges OF dishonest" or maivcrsation
OF amy kind. IL MIR. Bcrslu,n's alIcsa-
tions arc found worthy OF serious cou-
sidcration. Senator Thomas laid be-
fore uthp President last week asscr-
tlons made to members or tho commit
tee BY the sculptor.
STATUS OF BOHGLUM
SHOWN BY CORRESPONDENCE
Tho exact status of Mr. BorElum as
an Investigator. which until now has
been more or lcss of mystery 10 the
public. Is cleared UP By the correspond
cncc. II develops that attcr the sculp.
tor had written TO Secretary Tumulty
las: November in regard 10 alleged de-
fccts in the aviation organization, and
tho desirability OF having certain cX.
perts called in, the President asked him
10 present his ideas. Later, January ..
the President w:otc "a letter To MIR. Bor-
Elum. ASKING him TO come TO Washing
ton and lay the matter before the Sec
rotary Of War. and. with the aid OF
member 9f the s.crc;ary's personal
stan, discover the facts by personal In
Ncstisation. Borgiuru did this, and Feb
ruary tho President sent a prclimi-
nary report from him to Secretary
Baker.
March 20, after an exchange of tele-
grams with Borglum, the President
wrote that he had placed tt. material
iIc latter had fui:: shed the d =
rCsai Of Gcnticmc. to WH,s.I l.. l.,.i
committed tho task OF making, - s!S-
tcmatic inquiry into The Whole .t.ia:ion
situation. These gentlemen w"ru ;hc
special committee headed by II. Snow
den Marshall. OF N+v York. whose pre-
!lnl!nary report preceded tho recent re-
organization OF the army aviation ser
vice and tho appointment of John u.
ltyan as director general. IT has been
reported since that the sculptor re-
fused 10 deal with the Marshall COM
mittcc.
ENACT NATURE OF CHARGES
NOT YET MADE PUBLIC
%xactiy what the Borglum charges
=. never has been revealed publicly,
|lough they have been broadly limited
AT in Senate debate and freely dis
cussed in the cloakrooms. Whether
the Senate committee will consider
them has not been determined. y meet
ing will be held In few days TO set
tie the question.
General Squicr's request for A mill
tary inquiry to clear up the matter so
far as he and his subordinateS are
concerned. is before Secretary Baker.
Mr. Baker is making personal study
of the situation. Besides such state
ments as Mr.. Borglum has made lie has
before him voluminCuS cable corre-
spondence with European officials, as
we'll as American officials on the other
side, dealing with aircraft types and
changes, tho proceedings OF the air
craft board, as shown by It's records.
and all other data throwing light on
any phase OF the matter. He said to-
day that he had not concluded his study
or arrived at any determination as to
whether there was ground shown for
prosecution of any official.
The only element of the situation not
az yet in Mr.. Bakers hands. so far as
known. is the final report OF the s
shall committee, which will be st..a5
mittcd to the President when COM
pleted.
noRGLUM HOPES "CAMoUFLAGE
HAS COME TO END''
Upon learning of the publication OF
letters and messages addressed to him
by President Wilson in connection with
the aircraft program, Gutzon Borglam
tonight gave out the text Of an open
letter to the President in which he ex-
pressed the hope that tho "camouflage
deliberately planned by group of men
intrusted with a great arm Of our
military machine has como to an end
but added that the chart Of rcconstruc-
(ContinucdI lon Second Pagc.) Ie1