The Washington herald., 1918-05-26
SENATE AERO
INVESTIGATION
:ON TOMORROW
Senator Thomas, for Com.
mittee, IN Conference
With Hughes.

The first meeting of the Senate
committee which Is to investigate the
aircraft situation will be held tomor-
row morning. Senator Thomas, Of
Colorado. chairman Of the committee
Of i've Senators which Is to conduct
the Investigation, sent out notices
for the meeting yesterday after q
conference with Charles Z. Hughes
at the Department of Justice.
Make Plans Monday.
In this conference, a complete un-
derstanding was reached between Mr..
Hughes and Senator Thomas. rep
resenting the committee. to the ef-
feet that the committee could pur-
sue an independent line Of inquiry
which would in no way conflict with
thu Department of Justice probe At
the meeting Monday. the committee
viii outline its plan for conduct
ing the investigation and will make
preliminary arrangements for visits
to the aeroplane factories. These
visits OF inspection will be made 10
ascertain whether the work is pro-
ceeding as rapidly as possible.
Senator Thon-as's word to the other
members Of his committee after his
return from the conference with Mr..
Hughes was:
"Mr. Hughes feels very properly
that II II a matter solely for the
committee to determine whether or
not il should proceed with the in
vestigation- This the committee will
do at the meeting called for Monday
morning"
Hughes Makes Statement.
Following his conference with
Senator Thomas. Justice Hughes
gave the following written state
ment:
"Of course, assume that the SEN
ate Committee will act according to
its own views with respect to the
advisability Of proceeding with the
inquiry into aircraft matters.
have no desire to make any sugges-
tions and I have nothing to add to
what I said in my letter to the At
torney General"
Senator Thomas made this state
ment, as he came out of the con-
ference with Justice Hughes:
Judge Hughes attitude is that 1t
is within the committees province
TO eontinue with its inquiry if it
so disposed He will offer no sug-
gestions. The only connection be-
tween the two Investigations will
be an interchange of information"
The Senator made IL plain. in re-
ply to a question. that the Presi-
dents Investigator had offered no
further objection to the Senate Com
mittee proceeding with its probe.
steinbrink Assistant.
Justice Hughes holds the highest re-
gard for the ability Of Meier Stein
brink. whom he has personally select
ed as his assistant in the prosecution
Of the Investigation. Mr.. Steinbrinks s
home Is in Brooklyn.
He Is one of the leaders of the
New York bar" said Mr.. Hughes
He also was a member of the consti-
tutional convention OF New York. He
has been associated with me on the
district draft board. For the last
nine months Mr.. Steinbrink has done
a very great work as chairman of one
Of the committees of the general
board. OF which was chairman.
II didn't know of anybody Of great
er ability that I could bring down
with me for this work. He has a
very high reputation as a lawyer, and
Is particularly adapted to this kind
Of work.
Mr.. Hughes apparently expects to be
engaged in the aircraft probe for an
extended period. This is indicated by
his action in leasing house.
Home Accepted.
Mrs. Caroline Matthews, sister
in-law to Rear Admiral Richard
Wainwright, offered her home at
1882 New Hampshire avenue to
the Justice. He went there di-
rectly from the station this morn
ing, and started right in" keeping
house. he said. He will not bring
his family to Washington, owing
to the hot weather.
The forenoon was spent by the
Justice in conferences with Attor-
ney General Gregory and Assistant
Attorney General Frierson, to whom
the Department of Justices investi-
gaticn was originally assigned.
Brig. Gen. Saltzman, acting chief
of the Signal Corps, spent a short
while in conference with the in
vestigator in the early afternoon.