The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1918-05-15
Sculptor Charged With Criticizing
U. S. Board to Help His
Own Firm.
SOUGHT TO GUST MEMBERS
Documents Made Public at Washing
ton Bare Alleged Plan to Use Pres
ident Wilson's Help for
Own Ends.

New York, May 13.-GutZon Borg
lum, accused of having sought secretly
to capitalize his friendship with Presi-
dent Wilson by undertaking to pro
mote a private airplane company, is
sued u formal statement denying ANY
connection now or Mt any time" with
any airplane production concern or
any plan to organize Il company.
Washington, May 13.-Documents
made available from the official files
of the government show that GutZon
BOrglum, the sculptor, whose charges
against the aircraft program have led
TO the impending inquiry. as having
been connected with negotiations for
the establishment Of a new aircraft
producing corporation, in which he was
to be u silent partner.
Negotiations between BOrglum, Hugo
Gibson, connected with the British war
mission i'm the United States, and Ken
yon Mix of the Dodge Manufacturing
company of Wisconsin, began last De-
cember, the documents show. A state
ment by Mix, included in the docu-
ments, tells how he Withdrew after be-
coming suspicious of BOrglum's activi-
ties and reported the affair to Howard
Coffin. then head of the aircraft pro-
duction board.
The documents which have been sup
piled from the official files of the war
department and are now in the hands
of senator's most intimately connected
with the aircraft investigation, declare
that Borglunm continued his negotia-
tons after President Wilson authorized
him to make an inquiry into the air.
craft situation.
"couId Do Anything With Wilson,"
A summary of the negotiations
signed by Henry Harrison Suplee, who
acted as consulting engineer for Mix,
declares that BOrglum was to be rep
resented in the corporation by a Mr..
Harris and that Borglum's sole asset
in the transaction was to be. first, his
personal friendship and association
with President Wilson, whom, he
stated. he could do anything he wanted
with"
Suplee's statement further declares
that Borglum gave him to understand
that the personnel of the aircraft board
was "highly distasteful to him. and
that he proposed to change 1t ''by vir-
tue of his friendship with President
Wilson" and asked Suplee to suggest
men for the places.
Senator Hitchcock, chairman of the
aircraft subcommittee, said the com
mittee had determined more than q
week ago that Borglum's testimony
would be worthless t. them, and. there
fore, the exposure would not halt the
senate inquiry.
Reports of Borglum's activity in at
tempting to form an airplane company
already had reached the committee
and Borglum himself. when asked Ia
produce witnesses to ~substantiate his
charges of profteering and intimatiOns
of criminality in the development OF
aircraft. had failed to make good.
The Borglum exposure, however, ap'
pears to be complete, and ii is dis.
closed that discovery of his personal
interest in airplane matters caused
President Wilson to Withdraw all sup
port from the BorGlum aircraft inquiry
and to appoint Il commission headed
by III. Snowden Marshall of New YOrl
to make a thorough investigation OF
the aircraft collapse.