The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-05-06
AIRCRAFT PROBE
NOW ASSURED BY
! WILSON'S ORDER
Charges Made by BOrglum To
Be Fully Aired.
Either Aircraft Heads or Borg
Ium Will Suffer.
TO MAKE ALL MATTER PUBLIC
| Senate. Information Asked To
- Aid Investigation.

w dSn1HStO1, May o--IHe w nlle
House announced today that Presi-
dent Wilson has ordered an official
probe Of charges made by Gutzon
Borglum against the aircraft produc-
tion board.
Having ordered Secretary of War
Baker to inquire into the possible
need for a court-martial hearing in
the matter, the president today asked
the justice department. to cooperate
with the senate military committee to
sift down the Borglum allegations to
determine the need for grand jury
Investigations.
Borglum's charges of pro-German
Influence also will be investigated. De-
mand for criminal investigation was
made m the senate, recently
To Inform Public.
President Wilson is preparing to
make public all y the circumstances
connected with the aircraft investIga-
ton made by Gutzon Borglum, the
sculptor. and probably will give out
correspondence bearing on it.
Letters that passed between the
president and the sculptor, it was said
today, show that after the president
received the report, he asked BorgIum
for specific details of his charges of
graft and intimations of disloyalty on
the part of aircraft producers. and
that these never have been produced
| The correspondence also shows, it was
said, that the president did not request
Borglums investigation, but that he
gave his permission that the inquiry
be made after Borglum had asked that
he be authorized to make it
Borg1um's report was turned over by
! the president to the Snowden Marshall
investigation committee.
Senate Helm Asked
The president suggests further that
any information the senate military
committee may have or develop in the
case will be appreciated and examined
| by the Justice department.
AS stated by the United Press Satur-
day the presidents purpose is not
on1y to- determine whether any Ameri-
can officer or civilian has been guilty
1 or criminal mismanagement, but also
to determine whether any individual
has been guilty of criminal libel in
bringing the charges, which have cast
i suspicion on the aircraft production
work and which those close to the
president declare ere wholly reckless
and unjust t--- --s' =
The president is as anxious to
throw safeguards around honest and
| loyal government workers in orderinp
the probe, of the outcome of which
he is entirely confident, as he is to
sift the Borglum. charges for possible
guilty workers.
To Clean Up Matter.
The president carefully studied both
| the Borgfum charges and the special
| report made by his investigating COM
| mittee under H. Snowden Marshall,
before making his decision. 1t is un-
derstoods that the Marshall report re-
veals that the only censure to be
placed on those carrying on the pro-
ductfon work is that. OF "over- opti-
mism." as to possible results That
there IS no evidence of graft in ex-
penditures of appropriations for the
work is declared by those who have
seen this report.
Nevertheless, >rumors and yelled
charges, which followed Borglum's re-
port and which were aired on the
floor of congress have created seeth-
ing suspicion which the president,
Saturday, determined to expose.
Meantime it is stated that former Of
+, ficers who directed the work of air.
craft production "have been near ply
suit of the irresponsible reports" on
their work.
Borglum Not Official.
! At the same time the order for in
vestigation was announced President
Wilson's correspondence with Gutzon
Borglum, the sculptor who made an
| Investigation of the aircraft production
SITUATION was gwen out at Inc w mite
! House. 1t disclosed that the president
| last month advised Borglum he never
considered him an official Investigator
and practically disposed of his serv-
| ices.
| Investigation by the department of
| justice was asked of the president by
Howard Coffin, formerly chairman of
the aircraft board. who declared he re-
| quested it that the reputation of inno-
cent men might not be ruined by
/ charges that have been made.
| The investigation was launched at
| the urgent request of Howard Coffin.