New-York tribune., 1918-05-10
Officers Application Must
Wait ON Result of Other
Investigations
Frierson Begins
To Gather Data
Senator Thomas Says Pat.
ent Control Agreement
Permits Prohteering

" 11''1ilNN YIN, May 9.-Wlth the
Department of Justice investigation Of
aircraft production under way and an
other inquiry by the Senate Military
Committee about to- begin, Secretary
Baker announced tonight that he was
Withholding action upon applications
by three Signal Corps officers for ex-
animation by military court of their
connection with the aviation pro-
gramme.
The Secretary's statement disclosed
that in addition to Major General
Squler, chief signal officer, Colonel
Montgomery, in charge of contracts,
and Colonel Deeds, executive officer for
production, have asked that the men
ton of their names in connection with
sweeping charges of graft and disloy-
atty be made the subject of inquiry by
military tribunals. AS head of the Sig
nal Corps Squier until recently had di-
rect control of army aviation, and he
and the two colonels represent the
War Department on the aircraft board.
Will Hold Up Applications
Secretary Baker said:
"The department is anxious to fa-
cllltate and to expedite in every pos
slble way the inquiries already in
stltuted by the Department of JUS
tlce and the Senate committee. A
thlrd and concurrent examination of
the same set of facts at the same
time might delay these inquiries.
For that reason l shall hold the ap-
tod
mediate present"
Army officers generally have urged
strongly that military court should
deal with the charges and intimations
of disloyalty and dishonesty. They
draw sharp distinction between this
phase of the agitation in the Senate
and elsewhere over the aircraft pro-
gramme and the charges of incom-
petence.
Gathers Data for Inquiry
Assistant Attorney General Frerson,
appointed to conduct the Department
President, began work to-day by as
sembling all available data including
the report of the sculptor, Gutzon Bor-
glum, the preliminary report of the
Presidents special investigating COM
mittee, headed by H. Snowden Mar
shall, and mass Of information turned
over by the War Department.
After Senator Chamberlain, of Ore
gon, chairman of the Senate Military
Committee, had opened the way for his
committee investigation by offering a
resolution authorizing it,, sharp criti-
cism of delays in production were
heard again in the Senate, Senator
Thomas, of Colorado, Democratic
member Of the Military Committee, de-
claring there was evidence that a mo-
nopoly of production had been planned.
Blames Patent Control
"Close control" of airplane produc-
tion is had, Senator Thomas asserted,
through the organization known as the
Manufacturers Aircraft Association.
which controls basic aircraft patents
and restricts production under "cross
licensing" agreement. The agreement;
he said, he regretted, had tho approval
of the aviation authorities. Patent
control, Senator Thomas indicated, is
one of the features of the aviation sit
uation the Military Committee will in7
vestigate.
Senator Thomas told the Senate he
deplored failure of the government to
purchase or commapdeer the airplant
patents, controlled principally, he said,
by the Curtiss, Wright, Burgess and
Wright-Martin interests. Through the
Manufacturers Aircraft Association,
he said, patentees of improvements
cannot produce aircraft containing
their improvements without obtaining
licenses from the controlling interests.
Agreement Permits Profiteering
"Did the association intend to monop-
olize production and prevent the gov
ernment from having others make its
airplanes?" Senator King, of Utah,
asked.
"Not in express terms, but my
understanding Of the agreement is that
it operates that way" Senator Thomas
replied. II cannot escape the convic-
tion but that it was designed for that
purpose"
Senator King said he understood
Howard E. Coffin, former head of the
Aircraft Production Board, was an hon
orary member of the association.
In his opinion the agreement "cre-
ates gigantic monopoly" Senator
Thomas said
"But for the emergency due to the
war" he continued, "this contract never
would have passed the scrutiny of the
Department of Justice"
Profteering without limit, he as
serted. is possible under the arrange
ment.
"This agreement is undemocratic and
un American" concluded Senator
Thomas, "and should be annulled with
out further delay"