Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-11
Charged With Negotiating for
the Formation of Private
AirpIane Corporation.
BRAGS OF HIS INFLUENCE
WITH PRESIDENT WILSON
Sworn Statements of Sensational
Character Before Senate, Following
Sculptor's Attack on Air.
craft Board.

craft Board. >
Sensational sworn statements, letters
and kilograms from the files OF the
Army intelligence service were read
into the Senate record yesterday to
show that Gutzon Borglum. while hold
ing a personal commission from Presi-
dent Wilson to inquire into the govern
ment's aviation program. was negotiat-
ing secretly for the formation of a pri-
vate airplane company to take war con-
tracts and capitalize his friendship with
the President.
The sculptor. who has been the chief
critic of aircraft production officials. Is
represented seeking for himself po-
sition as silent partner in the proposed
new corporation. his sole asset in the
transaction to be his personal friend
ship with President Wilson. whom he
stated he could do anything with"
With Borglum was associated, accord
ing to the documents. Hugo C. Gibson.
munitions of war in the United States.
located in New York. who was to share
in the deal.
Statement by Kenyon W. Mix.
A formal statement by Kenyon W.
Mix Of the Dodge Manufacturing COM
pany Of Indiana. setting forth de-
tailed account of his negotiations with
the two men. is among the papers put
into the Congressional Record. They
were presented by Senator Thomas of
Colorado. a member of the Senate mill
tary committee, who has been par
ticularly active in connection with the
aircraft agitation. The Mix statement
GLIDING Vice President Marshall and
Howard E. Coffin. former head of the
aircraft board. have had most Of the
information disclosed today since last
January.
There is no indication, however.
that it reached President Wilson him
self at that time or that the President
knew of its existence until several
weeks ago. when he called halt upon
the sculptor's Investigations in his
name.
All of the documents submitted by
Senator Thomas. as well as much other
data from the War Department. have
been placed in the hands of Assistant
Attorney General Frierson, who has
Just started the inquiry ordered by
the President into charges OF graft.
disloyalty and incompetence in the gov
ernment aircraft. These charges. re-
ferred to first in Capitol cloakroom
gossip. and finally on the floor of the
Senate. have been attributed largely to
assertions Of Borglur11.
Formal Charge Against Borglum.
With the Mix statement there was
- f vpHr1 OF t0r ant O -
cusing Borglum, made to the military
intelligence section Of the Army general
staff late in January by Henry Harri-
son Suplee. MiX's consulting engineer,
ferences on the subject of proposed
corporation with Borglum and Gibson
described by his chief. The latter said
he became suspicious when he visited
Borglum in Washington during Janu-
ary and was shown President Wilson's
letter authorizing the investigation by
the sculptor, and decided then to re-
port the whole matter to government
authorities.
There are intimations that a great
deal of information bearing on Bor-
glum's activities and motives has been
assembled by the Army intelligence
port in official circles that evidence of
German influences in some form will be
brought to light when the full story Is
revealed.
Is Impressed by Plans Outlined.
Mr.. Mix states that the confidence Of
Borglum and Gibson of their ability
to build speed scouts acceptable to the
government impressed him and he con-
sidered extending his plans for manu-
facture. He attaches a copy of a let
ter to Borglum. dated January 4. in
which the proposal for a new company,
composed of manufacturers of compo-
nent parts of airplanes, appears for the
first time. Mix explains that the Dodge
people would not have cared to share
ownership in veneer patents and proc
esses any more than Borglum and
Gibson would have cared to share per-
manently their Interests in design and
power plant. Before the letter was
mailed, however. Borglum wired on
January 4:
Did. you get my wire? Have you re-
piled? When are you. in New York or
Washington. Reply Stamford, Conn.,"
Mix decided not to send his letter, but
instead wired that he had Just bought
the plant of the Gillette Motors Com
pany, adjoining the Dodge veneer plant,
and believed he had provided for body
and wing construction, for landing and
and for all fittings and ac-
cessores. He added:
'If you can supply design as men,
toned in your wire and propeller, there
operations could not be started"
Borglum's Wires to Mix.
On January Borglum wired Mix:
Il leave for Washington on serious
business Can you see me there at
earliest possible date? Address me Met
ropolitan Club
The next day Borglum wired from
Am here indefinitely. Bring draw
Ings. photos or other portable data Of
swift foreign planes. See Gibson in New
York"
ION January 9. 1s1s." Mr.. Mix's state
ment continues. II called Mr.. Gibson at
the British ministry by telephone and
was instructed to meet him in the after
noon at the Office of Mr. Compton, an
engineer. on the eighteenth floor of the
Hudson terminal building. Mr.. H. H.
Suplee accompanied me in this visit.
Compton, Mix understood, was a de-
signer in the employ of Borglum and
and at his office there was also
a Lieut.. Roberts of the British army,
who said he was invalided out of the
service and available for private enter
prise
"Mr. Gibson stated to me-" the Mix