New-York tribune., 1918-05-26
The Lynched Aircrafters


Scarce three weeks ago the air of the
Senate was fetid with wild charges of
gigantic scandal" in airplane produc
ton: Mr.. Borglum's accusations were
filling the papers; and to all this our
own "Times" was adding fuel in sem
sational and infammatory editorial,
shrieking "conspiracy"-a pro-German
"conspiracy"-and demanding that the
whole case be put before Federal
grand jury.
From Detroit our correspondent, Mr..
Theodore M. Knappen, wired to yester-
days Tribune that the Ford plant had
that day entered upon quantity produc-
tion of the Liberty motor, and added this
word from Henry Ford himself:
"It is wonderful creation. 1t is un-
deniably the finest mechanism Of the
kind the world has ever seen. 1t repre-
sents about the maximum of power pos
sibilities in aeropane motors, inasmuch
as it develops about two-horsepower for
each pound of weight The men who
have worked out this extraordinary motor
deserve the thanks and heartfelt appre
" citation of the nation. Instead of that
they are being crucifed. feel especially
sorry for Colonel E. A. Deeds, and espe-
cially indignant at his detractors. l have
been wondering what l could do to set
him right There is nothing 1 would not
do to help him.
On the same day "The Evening Post"
printed the results of an investigation
by it's correspondent Mr.. David Law
tical vein of that of Mr.. Knappen.
Writing also from Detroit, he said:
81 saw them test out Liberty motor
at the Lincoln plant to-day, and with only
nine tenths power it developed more than
400 horsepower, which means better than
435 with full throttle Nothing that the
Germans have can beat that-and even
if they copy our Liberty motor they can
not touch us in quantity production. In
fact, if Detroit has any suggestions to
offer on how to win the war in the air
1T would be to concentrate on a single
type of aeroplane and build five times as
many of that kind as Germany can
make"
AS to present prospects for produc-
ton, Mr.. Lawrence writes:
"Detroit is an inspirations From its
dozens of factories and thousands of
workmen went automobiles to the four
corners of the earth. Just so are going
and will go aeroplanes, Liberty motors
and submarine destroyers in quantities
unparalleled in the world. For here they
understand multiple production here
they have done "the impossible" already,
and, barring labor difficulties, will give
America and her allies more than $4,000
Liberty motors by the end of October"
Every one who knows anything knows
that quantity production cannot be at
tanned in day, nor in months, under
ordinary conditions. Yet this has been
attained in what Mr.. Henry Ford de-
clares to be "the finest mechanism the
world has ever seen.' Nor can "the
finest mechanism" be perfected, ordi
narily, in day, or in months, and yet
this miracle has been achieved.
By whom?
Not by the appointment of Mr.. John
u. Ryan three weeks ago. Not by the
accusations of Mr.. Borglum and "The
New York Times Not by members of
the United States Senate, calling to
heaven for vengeance on the men who
mad wrecked" the airplane programme.
FOR all this flood of abuse, of lies. of
shameless innuendo and accusation. who
VIII ever repay Mr.. Howard Coffin.
Colonel Deeds. Colonel Montgomery and
all the engineers and experts who
worked with them, month after month.
m a tireless effort to attain "the impos-
sioie' as Mr.. Lawrence rightly calls it.
and achieve, in few months, quantity
production OF "the finest mechanism the
world has ever seen"-22, 900 by Octo-
ber!
We now know about the airplane
scandal as we do about the "scandal"
at Hog Island, that it will rank as one
OF the great pages in American achieve
ment- Will the nation follow Henry
Ford in endeavoring to repair an almost
Eneasureless wrong?