Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1918-05-07
MONEY SPENT IN
A|RCRAf 7 WORK
HOUSE COMMITTEES II sAriS
fIkD WITH DEPARTMENTS
Oita. AVIATION

" tShl \,sioN, MAJ ..--
Hearings on the DillIon dollar
AVIATION estimates In the fIf-
tren DsInon dollar army arpr,-
priation IAN virtually we're con-
,in,isd toaay 10y the house miii-
Lary committee, with comlnit-
Wenen expressing Satisfaction
over the war departments pres
cnt organization Tor airraft
production.
" Nhlle no vote was taken ou
the queSnOn at whether the
committee >hou.d institute AN
inquiry into the sweeping
charges against the past mau-
a,sement of the irOgram. n
was said after the meeting thst
the members were agreed there
was nothing in the situation Ia
warrant sucn action.
In addition 20 outlining the pro
gram Tor the coming year. war de-
partment officials gave the commit
tee an accounting Ior the 1lt0.0nO,'
poe already Appropriated for AVA
uon moving that t3O7.U00,OO0 ac'
lually has been spent ana OF the
unexpended balance, fs10,00O ,00O
covers contracts Tor construction al
ready been placed.
Before the committee IN executive
sG, sion we're Secretary Baker. MAJ.
Gen. March. acting chief OF staff.
Mai. Gen SQuier. CHIEF sp;nal OFT
Ger. Brig Gen ". l.. kenley, chief
OF the divlsion OF military aero
nauiics. WIN G Potter. chief OF the
equipment division OF tue signui
corps. ana q number ot other Oft
GERS
AIR Potter testified that he knew
OF 10 criminal neglect on The part
vi either the manufacturer a. OF
the government Officers
Secretary liaker said much OF
the crltlosm or the aircraft pro-
sfam has resulted from pro Ger
mau propaganda Member of the
committee wanted Ia know whether
German plotting had lnteflered
with production MI Baker said he
could not say u had. Mi Potter
declared material had been destroy
ed. street CATS used Ia carrying men
io the manufacturing plants had
been Srscked ana aabOtaIs bad
bsen pfactlced. all oi which had
tagn ,.lfg su's1 "a Herwan mtin
ences. though 40 evidence had ba"n
pruduced 10 prove H.
kef,-eaentatlVe Anthony raid be
had ssen 4 letter statlng that dur
ing March the German airplane'
flew at will and unm0lestsd over
the allied lines. taking photographs
Gen. SQuler replied mat Il SIN "a
possible Tor alrplanes of the enemy
Ia fly over the allied lines and tab"
picture. and that II also Is poasi-
bic for the allied planes tO do the
same work over the German lines.
MIR Potter said the French and
British government, while they
sere Gatlsiled that the Liberty
motor Is q good engine and econo-
mical 10 gas and oil, preferred the
Bug1tti and llispano- Suiza engines,
aud al the request of the French
government he var department
had cancelled two contract Tor the
\ lbery motor. Of 5000 each. ga
manufacture instead the two French
types. Vie said the Liberty motor
s. good for the heavier aircraft bu'
Il not adaptable 10 the seifier
craft
II there Is any criticism 10 be
made of the aircraft situation. Mt
Potter 't0ld the committee. u ia
that too much time may have been
wasted 10 yperimenting Nth the
development Of a new. single type
ot engine. taking up time that could
have been used in getting reult.
from eXistins engine types. Ne said
aitcrafi progress b. been obstruct
cd by lack of sufficient spruce.
Roppsentaiivs Kahn. California
ranking Republican member. said
iaftor the hearing that W. Potter
explanation 49, atialartOry. Is
added that he sag satisfied no Grim
1 luallty existed aud that ~lilc M
motors have not teen produced or
schedule time the delay resulted
chiefly from change 90 plans and
from recu.al OF beiligerenis 20
agree upon them promptly
Relre sentltlte Shallcuberrer ~
Nebrl ka. Democrat .aid be- helioy
cd the explanation ati-fied fis
eniire committee