The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1918-05-09
THE AIRCRAFT SCANDAL.

The facts concerning the aircraft asco are promised
the American people Nothing less win satisfy Them
nothing short Of that is contemplated by the admins
tration.
The assurances are from the highest source being CON
tanned in President Wilson's letter to Senator Thomas
in which he says that every fundamentally at the dis
posal Of the Department Of Justice will be used to in
vesgate and pursue charges of dishonesty mayersa
ton Of any kind if the appegations Of Mr. Borglum
considered worthy Of serious consideration and sin
cerey hope that the matter will be treated as one for
searching official investigation by the constituted author
tiles of the government"
It is not pleasant to advertise to the world the amen
table failure of the United States to carry out its program
for building up great air feet in record time prom
ed or to confess that the integrity and good faith Of
public officials and citizens who working in the war
service of the government have been challenged But
the matter has gone far to demand that the country
endure tbs humiliation in order that the good name Of
those who innocent may be cleared of all suspicion
and that the guilty if any guilty may be groubht
punishment And it also is necessary that the faith of
the public in activities, shaken by this con-
spicuous failure be reestabshed.
There are many parties at interest in the matter all
of whom desire the facts the nation whose cause hin
dered by the failure Of the aircraft program the people,
who pay taxes the Congress- which has the responsibility
Of voting the appropriations; the earnest patriotic cit
zens who have contributed their services to the nation
only to find themselves now under cloud the army,
whose reputation must be kept spotless and the admins
traton which is responsible to the people for all mat
tiers in the conduct of the Therefore it the duty
of the Department of Justice to make thorough search
ng unbiased and prompt investigation of all the facts
and act accordingly. There must be concealment
The President may be trusted to place inhibition upon
all whitewash brushes These the principal things
the people wish to know:
Have the which operated to delay the aircraft
program been removed and may the public expect real
progress in the future?
Where lies the blame for the delay in building Amer-
cas- air fleet?
When these questions are answered frankly and ac-
curately public confidence will be fully restored and the
nation will have purged itself of everything calculated
weaken that confidence. First and foremost and trans
cending all other questions involved the question Of
whether the defects have been remeded and the plans
in process of being carried Before looking for the
rebug the confagraton should be extnguished After
that is done it time to go after the guilty parties
There is disposition quarters to resent the in
terest shown in this subject by Congress- the assum
ton that it purely executive matter That is wrong
Congress has direct and logical interest in the sub
ject Congress voted 900 to be expended in
the construction of great air feet, and it is asked
to appropriate $1OOOOOO more for this purpose Con
gress would be dereict in its duty and false the people
if it did satisfy itself that these vast sums were being
expended properly.
All that the people, Congress and all other parties al
interest desire is the facts The President has assigned
the task of gathering the facts the Department of Jus
tice, and the Attorney General has placed corps Of
trained investigators the work. These gentlemen HAYS
an important patriotic duty to perform. The country
looks to them to perform it fearessy and accurately
Washington Post