The Washington herald., 1918-03-18
SEEK CAUSES
FOR DELAY IN
AIR PROGRAM
Investigations Under Way
to Locate Responsibility
for Hardness.

Three Investigations are now
under way. It was learned yesterday
to discover II possible why the air
craft program is ninety days behind
its schedule.
One is being conducted by How
ard e. Coffin. head of the Aircraft
Board. following various disquiet-
ing reports that have come to him;
another by II. snowden Marshall.
chairman of a committee appointed
by President Wilson and working
in conjunction with the Super War
Council: while a third is being made
by Gutzon Borglum. the New York
sculptor, whose entrance into the
aircraft scrutiny Is more or less
mysterious.
Triple Inquiry.
The triple inquiry follows close
on the heels Of the first meeting
Of Congressional members with the
Super War Council, which in turn
came almost Immediately after
President Wilson had received a
secret report from Mr.. Borglum re-
garding the delayed program.
Just what authority Mr.. Borglum
had to make an investigation is not
known. but II IL generally talked
around the city that his report to
the President deals very largely
with the matter Of delay. This was
one OF the outstanding features of
the conference on Friday. OF the
Senate Military Affairs Committee
and the Super War Council.
Senator Hitchcock, chairman of
the committee, said afterwards that
the members of the council ex-
planned very frankly and bluntly
that the program was far behind"
but expressed hopes that 1t was not
too late to give Il sufficient mo-
mentum to catch up before the end
of the production year.
Criticism OF delay in starting the
aviation program has been very
frank and general One army de-
partment commander himself. more
than a year ago. expressed regret
that. with all the great nations Of
the world at war and aviation still
in its infancy this country did not
have q large commission OF aviation
experts on the battlefield studying
the problems that were changing
every day.
Explanatios offered.
An Official Of the Council OF De-
fense yesterday said the program
was ninety days behind. but the
difficulty had been in manufactur-
ers overestimating their ability to
get material, to make the necessary
conversions in their plants for the
| standardized product, and to get
/ spruce wood, so largely demanded
| for aircraft production. But light
in this seemingly hopeless situation
has been seen in the location Of large
. quantities of spruce in the north
west. There is a probability that
an arrangement may be .made with
Canada for the bringing into this
/ country of spruce.
! Mr.. Marshalrs duty will be to go
into the whole question of delayed
Z production. Mr.. Comm is taking up
a more specific subject. Reports
have come to him OF troubles in
the making of the liberty motors,
but it is confidently believed that
these are unfounded. While it is
admitted that there was some diff
ficulty at hrst over the matter of
fabrication. this was eliminated
long ago.
He is now on a personal tour OF
inspection. having left here FRI
day. 1t is said that he will make
complete tour of all the plants.
This will be more or less Of . check
ing up on the reports made to him
! by the various officers Of the Sig
nal Corps who have been constantly
on the alert for any mechanical or
! production irregularities that might
! develop.