The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-05-03
ALLEGED SCANDAL
IN AIR PROGRAM
ST|RS WASHINGTON
SENATORS ARE BITTER IN
Observation-Disclosures
is PROBABLE.

with request that criminal prosecu-
tions follow where justified, CON
tinues today the absorbing question
in official civil and military circles.
The report OF II. Snowden Mar
shalls special aviation committee
also should be considered by the
military committee, Senator Bran
dcgec said.
The committee is perfectly will
ing to go into criminal investi-
cation, Senator Hitchcock replied,
ii the senate desires, but | feel
such an investigation should be
made by the department of Justice
because it has power to prosecute"
Senator King said he considers
it the senate's Sacred duty" to
make further investigation and
fastcn responsibility for its failure"
on aviation production. He had
heard it said, he added, that some
body ought to be Shot in connec-
ton with the delayed production.
There may be ground for Grim
inal charges" Senator Hitchcock
replied, "but the president is the
one who can best act, through the
department of Justice
Senator Poindexter of Washing
ton said:
Says Baker Was Deceived.
Is not the secretary OF war the
man himself that ought to be reach
ed by the committee if it is seeking
to hold some one responsible ?"
Il believe the secretary was as
completely deceived by officials in
charge as was the committee" Sen
ator Hitchcock replied, adding that
the secretary had re-organized the
aviation personnel and thus indi-
Gated his lack OF confidence in those
Senator Knox, Republican, of
Pennsylvania, suggested that civil /
Is well as commercial and criminal .
OF the aircraft appro-
)rlation should be so fixed. There
IRE charges of conspiracy he said,
that Indicate misuse OF or obtaining
II hundreds OF millions OF dollars
If peoples money!
Senator Hitchcock said the recent
Walton report OF a majority Of the
military committee had given the
ourtry the facts after the commit
&c and country had for weeks been
nsinformcd by members Of the air
raft production board and the sig
.al corps"
\ minority OF the committee,
senator Hitchcock said, refused to
ign the report because they felt
: should be submitted first to the
resident.
Senator Kirby Of Arkansas, OF the
minority, said he did not
)iu the majority because its re-
ort wa, not complete, and did not
i've it a fair view of what has
cen accomplished in aviation work.
Owen of Oklahoma.
when the bills providing appro-
riations for aircraft construction
ere pending before congress- said
cnator Owen of Oklahoma, "a
ropaganda was conducted through
le press, apparently for the pur- ,
)Se of preparing the country to pay
Igh taxes for airplaneS.
The aircraft board was charged
I, Senator Hitchcock not only with
the committee for weeks,
1T with playing gigantic conf
,ncc game on the whole country ~
= giving the impression that the
liberty motor resulted from the (;
inference of engineers in a Wash :
gton hotel As matter of fact,
.c Liberty motor. the Ncbraskan ,
.clarcd, is the Packard motor, :
hicE has taken the Packard com -
NY three years to develop, but :
low we are going to pay that !;
.mpany between S50O0O0 and ST. :
OOOO for three years experiment
lion and that matter is now be
g adjusted"
Replying to Senator Pomerene's
iestion if the board had purposely
ceiycd the committee and the pub
3, OF if the board itself had been
ccived, Senator Hitchcock replied
at he was not disparaging the
bcrty motor. but reiterated that
e board had "practiced a gigantic
uiidcnce scheme on the public
ding that only shows the char
ter Of the men who are on the
craft board
Beckham Was Skittish. Y
In refusing TO sign either the n
.JOrity or minority report. Sen .
,r Bcckham OF Kentucky. a MEM l.
+ oi the military committee. said u
did this because he did not be o.
We the committee was ready to p
Ike "a report. adding he believed a
. committee should 90 further il
is investigation, a
The report was hasiened. Sena-
. Thomas OF Colorado. also
mjer OF the committee. explain
because OF articles sent out by n