The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1918-05-07
DEPT. OF JUSTICE
ORDERED TO ACT
Action the elimination OF
Charges Preferred By
Borglum

WASHINGTON, May 6.-Talk o.
graft and mismanagement in the ma
tiopal arplane construction program
heard for months in senate debate
and capitol lobby gossip, eliminated
to-day In a presidential order for an
1nves etgation by the department Of
Justice Almost simultaneously ir
became known that Major General
SQuier, chief signal officer and until
recently i'll direct charge OF ar1nT
aviation, had demanded military
court Of inquiry.
Tho white house, in announcing
President wilson's action, made pub
Lie O telegram received Saturday frcni
Howard Coffin, former chairman OF
the aircraft board, urging an Official
inquiry that regulations Of innocent
mon may not be ruined" and series
Of letters nnd kilograms exchanged
betvecn the president and Gutzon
Borglum, the sculptor, to whom is
attributed responsibility for state
ments that corruption in tlle expendt-
ture Of funds and pro-Ge1-mAn In
trig1,e had Mndered alrplane produc-
iton-
mere Also WAS Il I'ii'l W llNitl ~
tho president To-day Ia senator Th"inHs
Of Colorado. Il member "t III" SENATE
military committee. ASSURING EIm iha
every Instrumcnt;llItw "f the dcpHr m"n
OF justice Mill b" used /" push 'hu%'
Of dishonesty "f amy KIND II Mr. H"r
GUMS allegations are. found worthy :"
serious cons Liberation. Senator Th"na!
laid before tn" president last week as
ScrIlunS made to m"mh"r$ "t The com
miIlcr by the sculptor.
Borglum's Status.
The exact status -! Mr.. l:UrSlum Il!
An Investigator which until Now ia!
been more or less al Il mystery TO Ill
public. is cleared ur lay the ""rr"Sru'''.
rnce. 1t develops lht' after III" Srulp
tor had written I" Secretary Tumul'.
last N"T"mimr III regard Ia IN" alI"=r'
defects IN the aviation organization an,
the rSirtbilIIy al having certain ~
ports called m IN" president asked hin
TO prrSrrt his ideas. Later. "n .Ian!ar
=. the president wrote l"U"r I" MI
lnrglum. asking h!m [" r"inr 1" Wash
iugt"n and lay the matter before tn
secretary If war lnd. with HE "iG Of
:n"rnn,r of the s"crctary'S personal sta:i
CATION. Enr .lum did this. and on t'ru
ruary the president sent pr"llrninar r
report from. him 10 Secretary FAX"
with his moi: Her" is Mr.. E"rCl
preliminary report. ls there nor som
one entirely disconnected from a"rr
uauti,.s and Ir"ri those who ar" prom
in,'nt in CARRYING our IA" airplan' pr"
gram whom you can H$k /" :" oyer lhl
hing with an unbiased mind and Civ
llS has nalv" Impressions II il" .Ttr"r
may II" Something, w"rthy o. our con
>iti"ralinn and suggestions worthy I" IL
:lduV.ed
Action Resented.
TN March ~. after au 'N''fHnc" &
irl"rrMnS with Rnr&lunI. III" lr"Sid"lI
wrote that h" had placed tn" r'at"ri;,
III" latter had furnished III IN" hiSr''S:t
rf III" g"utl"m''r Ii whom h" had '"ni
mirted the task at making a SYST
inquiry into II" Who'll" hEiatI"u SlI ua
non. 'rhcS" gentlemen w,r', In" $;'''ia
,-nmnlitt",. h"arlrl hy II Sn"w'i'n Mar
shall "f N'w York. whose prr llr.iuar!
report preceded lhr r"r''m' r""rE:tutZ''
tr"n 1T Ih.. army nviaii"u s'rvjr'' AN
Iii" apr"iu, ,nl"n, "i I"hn H. EEam u
director general.
y
4. i".Iug allowed l." carry "ui n" Iniuir
himself In Response L. II '"innlaiii
that h.. had 1901 h,ru Supplied with suit
all.' assistance. tn" President "n .ArrI
II informed ham that II" feared h. hI
h,.."n un.l"r Il N'rI."l$ ni*nlrr'h"nSi' ~
nS t" his status. = n..>"r At any Tim
"rnS'it YOU an official Investigation,
wrui" IN" rr"Srl''nt II n"r"ly CAV
i"u III" right I" l"nl; mt" th'. matter "
your own m"li"n. HuG nm sur" IN
l"t,rr whirh III" secretary "i war pro
vdrtl ynu with Cav" y"u III" sam" pur
pos" and idea
Names Witnesses.
Th" IrrsId"u' closed 10y r\rr"Srlrr
tho lnl,r thai MIR. RrrElum would T"'
: ii his duty 10 turn over !" tn" ui'irtH
Investigators any rvId"nc" in his pos
session. II has hrrn r'lHri"'l $lnr
that tn" S.ulit"r refused I" d':al VII
Marshall ,umiurii'".
Mr. Ii"rElum hah e ""ut' rene" i"-'ln
with members nf lh,. S"nar. mIlItar
,r"innI'i"'.. and CAV" them It list "I: VII
u"SS..E he desires summoned II ih.. com
mlii'" r,-uIrnS it's inV"Sti:;ht'''n nS
result Of hls disclosures. II" r"il"rlI +"
CONTINUED on Page Ten.)