The Washington times., 1918-05-12
BORGLUM ARRIVES
IN WASHINGTON TO
FACE ACCUSERS
CONTINUED from First Page)

NCOnIlnueQ from tlT1I fdBol
was secretly engaged in airplane pro-
duction, using my position and conf
dence Of the President to this advan-
tage. deny that falsehood in every
detail as unfounded, without reason
Or support
Says MIX Charged Board.
IT wish also to add, regarding Mr..
Mix, that he came to my attention
through his own charges against the
aircraft board, and submitted q
lengthy typed statement charging
the aircraft department with culpable
retardation and delays prejudiciai to
the interests Of the country. The
original OF this statement was re-
turned to Mr.. Mix at his earnest
pleading after he had confessed that
he had been in touch with a uni
formed member OF the board, and by
his own statement had been heavily
commissioned by that member.
Mix is a witness for SPECIFIC
charges OF crookedness, he himself
charges against Colonel Deeds and
Deeds partners and will, II the Gov
eminent does not persist in white
washing this entire business, be COM
PEELED to appear as party with Deeds
in matters Mix himself designated as
crooked
PrO-GermRn Influence
Regarding Mr.. Bakers statement
OF pro-German influence: This I'M
fortunate statement from an officer
of the Government whose office has
resisted successfully every effort to
investigate and get at the truth upon
any subject relating to the war, and
whose department is so amply sup-i
piled with advisers close in the con-
hdence of the Secretary, OF Teuton
origin, is ludicrous-
II do not here impugn the pa
triotism Of any Of these men. do
say candidly and emphatically that it
IS unfair to ask German blood,
though born in America, to be as
prompt as war demands in the sxecu-
ton OF their orders against their
fRtherland. Never has a department
Of a government OF q great nation
submitted an agent OF its executive
to such contemplate, unjustified
sloughing and general interference as
was prosecuted against me in my
work, and 1 challenge Mr.. Baker or
any department Of the Government
to investigate or to explain and JUS
tify in any way their conduct in this
BIamea War Department.
Every American knows now that
the War Department has systemati-
cally directed the opposition to in
vestigate, that every subterfuge has
been resorted to, to gain time. Every
investigation, and there have been
many, has been instituted with a
prayer and hope that a clean bill
would be secured, and IT is now clear
that this final frame-up' was deliber-
ately planned and laid in preparation
to destroy the value and validity Of
my investigation
TT should not be forgotten that I
have been accused, indirectly, OF the
death OF Blakely, a fine, sober youth.
who lost his life at Mineola on the
18th of January, through the failure
Of the Liberty motor; also that have
been accused OF stealing a tGunkful
Of blueprints OF a famous Italian air
plane, and that these, with the present
charges and possibly others, have been
in the hands OF the military intelli-
gence department, Secretary Baker,
Mr.. Coffin, and now, I learn, OF the
Vice President OF the United States.
Mr.. Marshall, together with the Presi-
dent Of the United States, and that
no use was made OF them and that I
have never been given an opportunity
to explain or know OF them officially
until it became apparent last week
that I would stand by the subject I'M
til it was investigated.
@Secretary's Blow q BEunder.7
Z am sorry, more than I can say,
that we should suddenly be thrown
into q difference over a proper affair,
as honest investigation that honest
men never object to, and 1 cannot but
think that the Secretary OF Wars
blow at me is a colossal blunder. Per-
scnally / am not of the remotest i'm
portance in this matter. The nation
demands to know why a billion dol
lars in eleven months has provided US
with no planes. Next II demands to
know who is responsible. There has
a grave question arisen: Who is 1t
that is SO powerful, and where are
they, that make II impossible and
dangerous to the character and honor
Of men to dare to ask this Ques-
tionT"
In oral remarks supplementing his
typewriter statement Mr.. Borglum
asserted that the Wright-Martin and
Curtiss companies were today the
only manufacturers prepared to make
airplanes for America These two
companies could have produced 5000
aircraft and America could have had
3 900 or 1000 OF them in France for
the spring drive, he said, II the two
companies had been allowed to go
ahead with orders they had received.
Mr.. Borglum claimed that opposition
from Ohio" had prevented completion
OF orders by these companies. He
declined to identify the opposition.