Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-01
AIRCRAFT PROBERS
ACCUSE COL. DEEDS
AND THREE OTHERS
Hughes Report Lays Early Produc-
tion Delays to Design Changes
and Lack of Experience.
FINDS NO REGULATIONS 5

Washington. Nov. The long
deferred report of Charles T.. Hughes
upon American airpane production
made its appearance last night, accom-
panied bv Il letter from Attorncy-Gcn-
cral Gregory To the President The letter
summarizes the report and closely follows
it's conclusions ard recommendations
Contrary to speculative rtImorS, the
report failed To reveal or charge glar-
ing defalcations and peculatiors, cnof-
nous DELAYS, extravaganza, or gen
cral state OF collapse in the earlier stages
Of the program Il is in decided contrast
10 the aircraft report of the Senate Mill
tarv Committee which caused such n
sensation Il few months ago.
The report bru - charges principally
against one officer of the aircraft adj
niniStratlon Colonel j. \ Deeds. and
Nh. Hughes recommends hat the cyi-
deuce in the ease hc brought to the at
tention of the secretary OF war 50 that
Colonel Deeds may he tried by court
martial on charges ~ acting rs conf
dental adviser IL :: former business
:i>sociatc and IN giving Il false and
misleading statement with regard to the
progress of alIcratt production.
NJ IN MI ! I thtF9 VI Nifi--
The sum OF S>Ol Sol .NOG Was appro-
prlatcd for the fiscal year, lcgipung
july |. 1917. and obligations were con
tractcl amounting 10 >935. assoc, leav-
ing an excess obligation of Sl76.92i 903.
But ri tins certain sums were for the
''Salcs department Which Ic,clls GOV
erumcnt supplies machines. etc IN
elusive 81 thus -alc~ department ac-
count. the excess was >717 OF .055. :ud
MIR Hughes SAYS that tins excess will
largely To offset hN ~:,lng> ou the cSil-
mated costs and ~ cancrlauol> ~
orders
Jp,o .r4nc 20 .. th,- >,ar >'@o.4&i.3l6
Was actually sprlu. li ~ this >l1i. 40
4l6 vent for aftpIar,~ aId engines
More than >25.GOO.0Ou Was spent abroad
The sum of >lgG I'll 800 was spcnt tor
production ~ tie tnitcd states
l,R.r ~ .,o>rFtcror-
Great sums ls,ve hc,n advanced to
contractors. such Is SNOO0OOO to the
Curtis Acioilaltr ard No,or Corrura-
ton. >6.nOo. .Ola KS H. Lincoln Motor
COMPANY. ~5.N0 eco to the Packard
COMPANY = 500Onn ca,h ID thr DAYTON
Wright Nrpiauc ComplnNsand tho Wi
N>-OvetlaIti Company and S1.WNo oN
each IL the -0rcrt1ld Company
and the ll~bcr Eai, trupnN
Tie Hughes rtfpnr' SHOW taat Ia thc
year cndIug .luuc 80 la~t. 6.l7l planes anJ
II. 65} engines had hc,n 3cII>,Fcd But
Atturtev Grugr4i Oregon letter hruC~
the total III October II II follows: H.h.i /
planes and 49, cneifue~
IS Now ow>~ L.. >05 .rI>>i~
III addition 3,I29 planes with engines /
were obtained abroad. 50 the total /
POSSESSION of the country IS now l2.>U3 /
planes and a. sol engines Mr Gregory |
saws that the only service planes thus far /
produced iii lis ,plntrs laVc tccn Of the /
observation 4nd bombing tyre vhIlc the I
pursuit and combat planes lave been
acqaTcd abroad
IInEKT} MOTOR PRODUCTION,
Figures III the !lllghcs report show /
that lIp to june 80 la~t LOIS Liberty /!
twclyc-cvlirdcr motors were produced /
for tho army and 1.5 ior The navy I
tonight hN John p Ryan |
Director 0t AiTerait Production s4y~ /
that i.000 Liberty motors wore turned ont /
IL October Nir Ryan statement reads /
4 have rc4l hastily iaoSi II The report |
OF the aircraft Investigation nladc hy
Judge Huche~ and the summary hN tho
Attorney General / am Crat!fcd ot /
course to know tt:.t tie investigation
has resulted il tindlu. that re such condI-
tIou OF affairs existed last >pung "a tho
work of aircraft production rs was
Indicated Iy charges made II that tIme
| have long been satisfied that the men
who preceded me IL he direction oi
aircraft production did i very great
patriotic service and otd mot t~e ihelr
position or connection witt the govern
Inenf 10 make any personal profit
BAKER To to>~luER RECOMMENDATION
Secretary Baker said l.4S: evening. /
after his attention lad been called ID I
the Recommendation concerning Colmel i
Deeds tina. II the time allegations
against Colonel Deeds and other officers
with the military aircraft /
service Were mad. originally Ma 5or-C,sn
Nquicr c.ici signal fccr. and Colonel !
Deeds ard Colonel Montgomery ii tho
aircraft branch oi tbt >igual Corps had .
requested the secretary ii war 10 al,-
point military courts pi Inqulr. 70 In-
VestIgate these allegations.
Secretary Baker ~ald that 81 the time
he had declined ~ pas upon he re-
quests beeause he aircraft situation WAS
then under Investigation by MIR Hughes
and the >cuat, Committee 0u Military
Affairs Reports having now been made
BY the Senate cpIuuItttc and Nh
l1ughe~ said NJ Baker hc would now
IIvc consideration IL tle requests Ia de-
erIuInt whether thc> should bc approVce.
1r denied
TEcH NlCALL} VIOLATED LAW
Thre. other officers. Lieut.-C3I + G..
meent Lieut. I ~. tieorge " Mixer
md Second LicaleuatI samuel Is Nroo-
nan ar accused of having violated the
,ection which prohibits ana government
representative from trausarfiug business
with a corporation with winch lie Is as