Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-07
Plans for Investigation.

:. Attorney General Gregory started to-
day to outline plans for the aircraft
Investigation ordered by President Will
son. He called into conference G. Car
roll Todd. his assistant. and Solicitor
General Davis. and the three went over
the situation.
The Attorney General made 1t clear
that under the Presidents instructions
he would go to the bottom Of charges
against those connected with the pro-
duction program and would welcome
assistance from any persons who be-
Neve they have information on the
subject.
Meanwhile the House military com.
mittee subjected War Department Of.
1cials to q close examination at a con.
ference in which the administrati tons
iequest for q billion-dollar aircraft ap-
preparation was taken up. Secretary
Baker. J. D. Ryan. in charge Of produc-
fion: Maj. Gen. March, acting chief of
stan: Maj. Gen. Squier, chief signal
oficer, and other officers were present
ct the conference: At the same time 1t
became known that Maj. Gen. squier.
chief signal officer. and until recently
IA direct charge Of Army aviation, had
demanded q military court Of inquiry
INTO the entire matter.
. Details Of Order Not Disclosed.
The White House. in announcing that
President Wilson had instructed the
department of Justice to make an In
veetfgatton. did not disclose the de.
tails Of the Presidents order and the
scope Of the inquiry to be undertaken
vealed. 1t did make public, however.
kilograms and letters exchanged be-.
tween the President and Gutzon Bor.
glum. the sculptor. to whom is at
trtbuted the responsibility for state
ments that corruption In expenditures
0H S1nAR and RYN.fyArreav1 n tr{o no a
hindsred airplane production.
Upon learning of the publication Of
fhe letters Borglum gave out an open
letter to the President. reiterating his
the "camouhage deliberately planned
By group Of men intrusted with q
ffeat arm Of the military machine has
! Mr.. Borglum said he had noticed the
Publicity given his correspondents
Ind that he could hardly interpret it as
friendly. In the course Of a long let
Yer he declared that the aero depart
tnent is full Of pronteering. and that
that when he commenced his investi-
cation from an ONCE in the War De-
tsrtment building assigned to him his
work was systematically blocked. to
fhs extent even Of threatening wit
posses. He named In this connection
his work. and asserted that Maj. Gen.
4auier. chief Of the Signal Corps,
eacted in like manner"
Every Official that approached and
from whom I had the right to receive
tid ana courtesy entered into q gen.
1fal conspiracy to deceive, to mislead
and to prevent learning the truth
about the aeronautic situation" the
1Dtter continued. II do not presume to
Give the reason for this
Remarking that Col. e. A. Deeds, an
Army member OF the aircraft board,
Has said semi-publicly that 1900 Amer
loan planes were flying in France, the
sculptor asserts that in fact there are
LESS than twenty planes.
purpose Of monopolising the engine
making business in the country
Dorglum asserted, and he concluded.
Charges more grievous could moi
have been made against a department
Or group Of men. Seven or eight in
vestigations have been made besides
my own. and there Is no single denial
Of anything I cahrge."
Mr.. Borglum also gave out q COPY OF
Q letter to President Wilson, dated
January FL. transmitting his frst re-.
Bort. which complained Of attempts "a
block his investigation by ofiiciais. but
asserted that he had been able to con-
pect 'ths broken links Of q chain OF
dishonesty and disorder that RUM
throughout our production depart.
ment"