American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-05-07
AIRCRAFT PLAN 4 SCANDAL
SAYS SPECIAL INVESTIGA ATOR
Scathing Arraignment of Aircraft
Board Made in Report President
Asks Department OF Justice to Act.

Asks Department OF Justice to Act.
Gutzon Borglum Monday gave out
the text of an open letter to the presi-
dent in which he expressed the hone
that the "camouflage deliberately
Planned by a group of men entrusted
with a great arm of our military ma
chine has come to an end" but added
that the chart reconstruction of the
aviation organization filled him with
definite alarm
Mr. Borglum said he had noticed the
publicity given his correspondence
with something more than a shock
and that he could hardly interpret il
as friendly. In the course of a lone.
letter he declared that the aero de-
partment is full of profteering and
that hundreds of millions have gone
and that when he began his investf-
cation from an office in the war de-
partment building assigned to him.
his work was systematically blocked.
to the extent even of threatening wit
nesses. He named in this connection
Stanley King, assigned as an aide to
his work and asserted that Mai. Gen.
Squier, chief of the signal CORPS.
acted in like manner"
Officials in Conspiracy.
Every official that I approached
and from whom I had the right to re-
ceive aid and courtesy entered into a
general conspiracy to deceive. to mis-
lead, and TO prevent learning the
truth about the aeronautic situation.''
the letter continued. Il do not pre-
sumo to give any reason for this"
Remarking that Col E. A. Deeds. an
army member Of the aircraft board.
has said semi-publicly that 1900 Am
erican planes were flying in France.
the sculptor esserts. that in fact there
are less than 20 planes.
Hundreds of Millions Gone.
Il have said the aero department
is full of profiteering" the letter
said, that hundreds of millions have
gone, that factories have been created
where there were no factories neces-
sary and contracts to the extent OF
S5O,OOOO00 given to men who had
neither rhyme nor reason for the re-
motest connection with the emer-
gency of airplane production, but
who had the pull of Deeds, and who
are still floundering in their ignorance
and incompetency. unable and incap-
able of fulfilling their contracts, still
drawing under the cost plus system on
4 the treasury of the nation.
Il have said that aeronautic men
have been snubbed and ignored. and
that factories that knew the art of
airplane building are even at this
writing without the slightest consid-
Grafton by the group who dealt out
the colossal funds for their own pur-
pose
Liberty motors We're developed for
the purpose of mOnopolizing the en-
gne making business in the country
Porglum asserted. and he concIuded-
Fears End Is Not Yet.
Charges more grevious could not
have been made against department
or group of men. Seven or eight
investigations have been made besides
my own. and there is no single denial
of anything / charge. The camouflage
deliberately planned by a group of
men entrusted with a great arm of our
military machine has come to an end
at least | hope it has come to an end
but the chart reconstruction which I
saw the day before yesterday fills me
with definite alarm"
Mr.. Borglum also gave out a copy
Of letter to President Wilson, dated
January II, transmitting his first re-
port, which complained of attempts to
block his Investigations by officials
but asserted that he had been able to
connect the broken links of a chain
of dishonesty and disorder that runs
throughout our production depart
ment"
A department of Justice investiga-
ton Of the charges of graft in aircraft
production, made by Gutzon Borglum.
the sculptor, was ordered Monday by
President Wilson.
BOrglum's charges of pro-German
Influence also will be investigated
, Demand for a criminal investigation
was made in the senate recently.
Wilson Orders Investigation.
The president wrote Senator Thorn
as Of Colorado Monday. informing
him that he had ordered the depart
ment Of justice investigation. follow
ing the senator's request of Friday.
Every instrumentality at the dis
posal of the department of justice will
be used to investigate and pursue the
charges of dishonesty or malversation
Of any kind" wrote the president.
Only in this way can the reputation
OF those whose actions have been per
fcctly regular and blameless be pro-
tected, and the guilt. if there is any
definitely lodged where it should be
lodged"