The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-29
Senator Overman Tells Senate
100000 Huns Are at Work
in American Plants
DISPLAYS BRACKET
INSPECTOR FOUND
In CURTlSS SHOP
Holes Filled With | cad Would
Give Way When Subjected
to Strain, Senator Explain 3
in Object Lesson

" 1SAAhA tNh AiATCA rCIF11
spies IN American aeroplaue factories
are blocking the governments aircraft
program.
This charge, made by Senator over
fnah In dramatic speech iu tie SEN
ate. this afternoon, brought ,n mediate
sceion by the military affair commit
Tee IN opening up KS probe ln.o the
afrpiane program.
Ma!or-Goncrai George o. S4utes
ehief Of the signal corps. sumu.oae4
before the committee. was examined
behind closed doors
Great secrecy w So thrown about h.s
tstimony lty solemn agreement Of
he committeeman. IL wae pledged thsr
eothing should be dtsc!oeed
Howard f. Codln. chairman. and
Colonel e. 4. Deeds Of iue Aircraft
oo@fd. have been summoned to appear
tomorrow.
The curtlss aeroUlene factory MAS
specifically named by senator u,er.rau
pr being infested with spies Three
paieers. he sa,d had German names
w were president. ar secretary af
war he said # would commander
h* elaftt. turn oat All the uuer era
piestd there srd replace them via
o. Americans"
Tho charges made nv senator over
f1&a Nere nFn paals5zct by tho exhtbI-
tier - tae senate Of bracket taken
prem aa a}rPiane. showing evidences
~ having been fAwpered with. The
bracket is used 80 hold the STAY wires
rn@ninE from the body Of the nIane
- the wings. Holes had been driven
fn the steer frame and these holes filled
vtta lead, ~ soon ~ the bracket was
su aiaete9 20 strain I snapped In two
Discovered by british OnIcer.
senator OvermRn declared that thu
c9-apjng of the airp}ape parts had been
~ Ssa ~. L.
Tbs broken frame Was given so him
Ibs u detective named Leigh, employed
IN the Intelligence bureau Of the war
department Discovery Of the tauper-
frr was made he said. by 4 British
oA ser who is an inspector in the plant.
senator overman said that work on
he contracts held by the Curtiss plant
had been DELAYED two months as re-
snit of these disclosures. Every ma
rhFna had IL be examined and many
~ thh parts had to he remade.
= do know that spies are n that
,ala ny and they have delayed the fur
n:ehing of these machines TO Perish
{aas army" he said.
senator overman has given Senator
chamberlain. chairman Of tho military
cantmittes. all Of the Information i'm
his possession regarding the efforts to
cripple the airplares. The committee
fconsidercd the statements In executive
Bsession. The matter will he thoroughly
Bipyestlaated as part Of the general in
Hourly as to why the shipment 81 air
#eraft has been delayed.
S30I0G1 Spies at work.
While the espionage bin was being
|lconsidered in the senate. Senator Over
Ijnlan made his statement TODAY by de-
| cIaring his belief that there are 4oo. GOO
II such spies at work. and told the sen
tate that tho broksn frame Of the air
rlane Is concrete evidence of spy ac-
EtIvity.
ri we had shipped atrpianes man
tifsctur like this abroad" ne said.
every man who went up In one would
khave fallen to the ground"
Il General Squiers testimony before
/ the COMMITTEES was of such nature
| that the committee declines to make
/ any portion OF II public The strletest
L secrecy was enjoined. upon every mem-
/ Der or the committee in attendance.
so that none OF the figures given by
General sonier as to actual production
might be divuiged.
I Senators Thomas and Freliughuysen
objected to hearing the testimony in
seeret session. They pointed to the
. fact that practically everything that
was said by General Leonard Wood
In histemtimony at the executive ses-
sion OF the committee has been spread
/ abroad, and saw no reason why an
0pen nearing ShObtd nut pb ktNch 10
General Squier.
Votes for Closed Session.
IL was stated by General Squier,
however, that II his testimony were
given In the open. he would be obliged
to withhold much information which
the committee might desire to have.
with this explanation the committee
voted 6 to for a closed session.
General Squier also declined to pro-
coed In the presence of Lester II. Bar
low. young inventor. who had been
brought to the hearing by Senator
Hitchcock to advise the committee on
L technical questions. General sauier
declared that he had had some differ
ences with Barlow over the desirabiiity
Of the liberty motor.
The liberty motor was defended by
Senator Reed. speaking IN the senate.
He said he had taken pains to inves-
tigate the situation and was satisfied
that the motor would be & success.
The British government, he said. has
ordered 5000 of them.
labor Delegation TO Go Abroad.
New York, March 2s.--The Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, IL was ans