New-York tribune., 1918-08-09
u. S. Agents Rumored to
Have Arranged To Be Paid
Contingent Fees AfterWar
Senate Inquiry Over
Committee Finds Many
Charges False and Will File
Report Before August 19
By Theodore M. Knapper

WASHINGTON, Aug. S.-The two
sets of aircraft investigators are still
on the job, but it now looks as if the
Senate Military Affairs subcommittee
Will be the first to report. 1t was said
to-day that the sub committees report
would surely be in the hands of the
main committee before Congress re-
convenes on August 10. The sub-com-
mittee has collected all the data and
testimony it desires and Senator
Thomas, chairman, is engaged in di-
gestlng the bulky aggregate. This
digest will be used by the sub commit
tee as a basis for formulating it's re-
port and findings.
The committee proceeded, as most
such committees do, by listening to
anything that was offered and dipping
into everything in sight, even if, from
a legal point Of view, incompetent, i'm
material and irrelevant. 1t has found
that many charges that were laid be-
fore 1T as to fraud, extravaganza,
peculatlons, etc, were so absurd that
1t was sorry it gave them any credence
whatever.
However, it is certain that the com
mlttee's report will not be recreation
reading for the optimistic. Rather
Will 1t delight those who prefer gloom
IN their aircraft pabulum
Finds Fertile Field
The committee occasionally feeds q
few guarded crumbs to the newspaper
men, but Charles L. Hughes and his
department of Justice inquiry remain
lnscrutable Mr.. Hughes has apparent
~ found a spacious field for his re-
searches at the Curtiss plants in Buff
falo: 1t was expected that he would
be through several days ago, but he is
still there.
1t is only from persons and cor
porations that have gone through the
hughes mill that anything can be
learned. They all agree that Mr..
Hughes is an accomplished Investigator
and that whore he fails to smoke out
crookedness it can safely be assumed
that there is none. One line along
which he is working very persistently
is the suspicion that officials CON
nected with aircraft production main
tanned secret business relations with
manufacturers
The theory is that while apparently
not participating in any of the profits
arising from contracts they were in
strumental in letting, it was so ar
ranged that after the war was over
they would get their predetermined
share of the profits. Inquiries along
this line have been so detailed and in
slstent by Mr.. Hughes and his assist
ants and expert accountants that the
smallest affairs of suspected persons
and corporations have been searching
ly examined
Keeps Eye on Hughes
According to some of those who have
been Through the MILL" it begins to
look as if Attorney General Gregory
was Keeping weather eye on Mr..
Hughes. In sense, it is inferred that
W. Gregory is sort Of checking up Mr..
Hughes, as if to ascertain whether he
has any bias.
The same persons are convinced from
the line Of questioning followed by Mr.
hughes that he is quite as much intent
on ascertaining whether there has been
incompetence, mismanagement, cxecu-
tive failure, administrative weakness
and lncapacity as he is in running
down evidences of fraud or other forms
Of crminality. Their view is that Mr.
Hughes intends to make full use of the
wide latitude he has maintained was
necessary for his researches. His re-
port, in their opinion, will really be a
complete review Of the whole aircraft
enterprise and passing Of Judgment
On 1t from every angle
Whatever the net result of both in
quiries, there seems to be no doubt
that they are pests from the stand
point Of present production. The in
evitable result of these meticulous ex
amlnations has been q tightening of
red tape and an eXaggeration Of
scrupulousncss that is expressed bv
the homely saying that man stands
so straight that he leans backward.
Builders Up in Air
Manufacturing executives and GOV
ernment officials, who had got down to
practical working basis and were
taking buslnesslike short cuts, now
pause and examine every move for fear
that some innocent action may be sub
Ject to an invidious construction. Hon
est and conscientious men are de-
pressed by the cloud of suspicion that
hangs over them and is darkened as
each succeeding investigation, sub-n
vesugatlon and inquiry comes along.
Gong back TO the grotcsque davs of
Gutzon Borglum, there have been
about ten major and minor invcstica-
tons. Everybody connected with air
craft manufacture is, as it were. un-
der Indictment. Engineers, production
officers and inspectors are Suspicious
of manufacturers; the latter arc sus-
plcious of the former, and even the
morale of the workmcn has become
involved.
After Mr. Hughes and the Senate
committee conclude their hunt a long
closed session is recommended for ali
sorts and conditions of aircraftcrs
Coal Goes Begging