Evening journal., 1918-04-04
WORK MANY
MOTHS Behind TINE
Delay Largely Due to
Changes in Specifications,
Inquiry Shows
BOARD WILL SPEED
UP THE PRODUCTION

WASHINGTON. April i.-Wheiher or.
cot President Wilson VIII make any
change in the present organization in
charge Of aircraft production as a re-
suit OF The delays which have occurred
wi,l depend upon The report of ihe
special board of Investigation. headed
by Snowden Marshall which No.. been
making a most palnslasine and eX-
heustiVc Investigation OF the present
status ~ Tho aircraft Program
ard the reasons for tho delays.
This board hns also been authorized
90 Suggest amy changes AZ once which
/ 10 thinks uocJssary 90 speed things
up
Tho board has not finished lls report
FOR The President yot, but these arc
some Of It's conclusions;
That tho aircraft program is frou
three 90 four months behind and That
The chief reason Tor This delay has
been the many changes ln speclnca-
iions
That quantity production of airs
planes Us under way now. with the rs-
suit that the nrst requirement of,0ur
forces VIII be successfully met and
Mat the airplanes callod ~. under,
The second requirement viii be- in
France by July
That uc lb,riy MOTOR is an entire
success and has been go adludged by
the Allies
That present indications arc that
American factories will he turning out
bombing planes In quantities by July
and Will be turning our some battle
planes.
That experience has shown that bat
tie planes can hest he turned out by
the foreign makers who are prepared
90 adjust themselves more quickly 10
the changes in specifications made
necessary in bringing battle planes up
10 date For this reason the board
believes that this country should CON
centrate more on training and bomb
Ing planes 20 supply both ourselves
and the Allies and. by relieving The Al
lies OF this manufacture 10 enable them
to concentrate on battle planes
That the Allies are either ahead OF
the Germans on airplane production
or so near 10 IL that this couniry's
contribution in q fcw months will give
the Allies undoubtcd superiority in the
/ air.
The Marshall board has also arranged
! 20 sped up production and has seen
TO 10 that production shall 90 ahead on
present plans. while a separate tech
nical force shall at The same time en-
gage itself with making Improvements
Rumors are current here that as
3 result OF the situation which ha
arisen the Aircraft Production Boar
p will be reorganized by the presiden
! as soon as the Marshall boards repol
3 is made.
o There are cropping up unofficial an
s voluntary organizations Offering 10 te
r the President what is wrong and ho'
= it should be corrected. Alan r. Howle
r. president OF the Aero Club In a Ion
r. letter 10 the President made public &
g day, explains what il at fault and ho'
10 should be corrected.
= Tomorrow the Aernautical Societ
10 Of America is TO hold a meeting
(. New York for the same purpose.
- According 10 army officers neal
S 20O Liberty motors have been shlpps
b. abroad while the Senate committee hi
y been investigating charges that nor
would be ready by July. More tina
sixty-flve motors for combat plani
s were turned over 90 be put into halt
"a planes during The last week Of Marc
q While investigation has been going {
as 10 whether there would be thirt