Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-12
Tales of German Propaganda
Also Said to Be Brought
Out in Secret Papers.
SEARCHLIGHT FOR ACTS
OF INFLUENTIAL MEN
Report Labeled for Intelligence SEQ.
tion Of Army Never Has
Reached That Office.

The surface has only been scratched
n the ramifcations of alleged efforts to
discredit the liberty motor and the men
responsible for aircraft production, by
the disclosures made in connection
with Gutzon Borglum's activities in re-
spect to aviation, it was learned last
night.
One of the most important documents.
seen only by a few men before it was
tice. where 1t will be held secret until
It's contents are Investigated. was said
yesterday to point to a concerted Ger
man propaganda, not among the men
connected with aircraft production. but
among outsiders, who through widely
known organization sought to bring
discredit upon the governments efforts
| to turn out the Liberty motor.
Broad Inquiry to Be Made.
Thus 1t became apparent that the De.
partment Of Justice inquiry extends not
| only to the officials charged with turn
ing out aeroplanes for the American
motives and backing of influential men
who have been in Washington and have
appeared before congressional commit
| tees with allegations aimed at these
| officials.
So far Mr.. Borglum's activities have
appeared to be Independent Of these
, other interests. But in the new light
of Mr.. Borglum's correspondence or
| the other new aspects of the inquiry
| the original line of investigation. that
of the responsibility for the ALLEGED
delays or wastefulness in connection
, with aeroplane production, will not be
/ lost sight Of. )
Meanwhile the reasons for keeping
| under cover for three months the dis
closures made about Mr.. Borglum IN
| the records Senator Thomas inserted In
somewhat unusual method of making
| them public, aroused scarcely less in-
| terost yesterday than the disclosures.
Known as Early as January.
| AS early as January Vice Presidaut
Marshall. Howard Comh. former head
Of the aircraft board. and Secretary ~
War Baker had been informed Of the
facts contained in the memoranda made
public last Friday by Senator Thomas.
1t developed yesterday that the let
ters. kilograms and signed statements
seen by number Of high governments
officials, had been subjects of confer
ences between them and Representa-
tives of the Dodge Manufacturing Com.
pany, and then had been placed in q
safe at the War Department to reposs
there.
Meanwhile intelligence officers of the
department had been inquiring into the
airpiane situation. had been on the trail
or Mr.. Borglum while he was trailing
officials charged with aircraft produc-
tion. armed with the Presidents letter
or January 2 as credentials. and in the
course of this inquiry they are supposed
to have run across the other information
which is contained in the report now
held in close confidence at the Depart.
ment of Justice
One Of Mysteries in Case.
Col. Ralph H. Van Deman. head of the
Intelligence section, general stan, de-
ties of his office in connection with the
inquiry. One Of the mysteries Of the
Borglum case SO far is the recipient OF
the report of Henry Harrison suples, q
consulting engineer of the Dodge Com
pany, which was labeled in the Con-
gressional Record. Memorandum for
the confidential information of military
intelligence section. United States Army"
1t became known yesterday that the
report. does not know to whom it had
been sent. and declined to enter upon
an Investigation of Mr.. BorgIufn's
activities on the ground that he was
a personal representative of the Presi-
dent.
Reasons why Mr.. Borglum was per-
mitted to continue his inquiries, IL the
reflections contained in the letters
made public Friday were known to be
true though they may be well founded.
were not disclosed.
One explanation offered unofficialIy
was that the Secretary of War. know
ing that his own department. in a
measure, was under fire, hesitated to
attempt to discount the work OF the
investigator. as such interference might
be construed an effort to divert the
aeroplane inquiry.