Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1918-05-14
GREGORY STARTS
AIRCRAFT QUIZ
Attorney General Says Guilty Will
Be Punished.
W. |. FRIERSON STARTS WORK
Senator Chamberlain Plans InvestIea.
ton to Determine How and Where
Large Appropriations Were
Expended.

Washington, May 8.-Attorney Gen
eral Gregory, acting at President VII
sens direction, began planning the in
vestigation of the $640,000,0OO appro
priation for the construction of air
craft.
The attorney general said:
1.-The purpose of the investigation
viii be to determine whether there
has been any dishonesty or malversa
ton of any kind.
"In case either is developed, neces
sary steps 10 punish the guilty will be
taken. The investigation will begin al
once and Assistant Attorney General
William L. FrersOn will be in imme
diate charge"
Senate Probe Also
At the some time Chairman Cham
berlain of the senate military com
nlittee proposed to have a thorough
inquiry of its own. He promised the
senate there would be mo white
washing"
The investigation, Senator Chamber
lain announced would be TO determine
how and where these immense APP
preparations were expended, adding
that the committee proposed to put
its finger on the men responsible"
IN making his announcement Sena-
tor Chamberlain declared there had
been something radically wrong with
the whole program.
New Charges Daily.
New charges of a sensational kind
in connection with aviation are meing
lain continued.
Senator Vardaman, Democrat, of
Mississippi, asked how many Ameri-
can planes were abroad, and Senator
Chamberlain replied that not one
American built battle plane had been
sent there, although American mate
rails in large quantity had been
shipped for assembling.
Referring TO testimony of Major
General Squier chief of the signal
corps, before the committee regarding
failure to train 800 American cadets
sent to France because no airplanes
were available and plans to return
them TO this country for training, Sen
RtOr Chamberlain said a large num-
Der of the cadets had never received
any training abroad.
$2oO,0oo,ooo Spent.
Senator Thomas of Colorado, Demo
crat. said he understood that $200,00O,-
900 had been actually expended and
that the rest is represented by con-
tracts which, when completed, will
absorb the remainder.
ReSuming his announcement, Sene-
tor Chamberlain declared that not
only would aviation be investigated by
the committee. but "every other branch
of the service"
Senator Norris Of Nebraska, Repub-
lican, remarked that large numbers
of Liberty motors had been ordered
by the allies.
Senator Chamberlain said England
had ordered large number, but he
did not deem it advisable to disclose
confidential information.
Baker Asks Billion.
Secretary Baker urged the house
military committee to recommend a
new biIlton-dolIar aircraft and figures
regarding aircraft plans should not
be made public.
He said the committee was entitled
10 details, but he was opposed to pre-
senting them publicly.
Despite suggestions by several
members of the committee, he said
nothing should he given out by the
committee.
He said criticism of the aircraft
plans were inspired by pro-German
influences and that details of govern
ment plans should be kept military
secrets.
Secretary Baker, in prepared
statement on the Liberty motor. said
II was a composite of ideas of engine
builders.