The Washington herald., 1918-05-12
FRESH DELAYS
MEET PROGRAM
FOR AIRCRAFT
Senate Learns Bristol Fight
ing Planes Have Turned
Out to Be Failure. l.
MOTORS FALL DOWN
Congress Has Not Decided
to Probe Charges Made
Against Borglum.
MOTORS FALL DOWN

Members of the Senate Military Af-
fairs Committee who attended the
conference Of the War Council at the
War Department yesterday returned
to the Senate with details OF a fresh
encouragement in the nations pro-
gram of aircraft construction.
Proves Failure.
The Senators learned that the Bris-
tol heavy fighting plane upon which
a great deal of dependence had been
placed has turned out to be a failure.
Plans for the manufacture of these
planes in large quantities have been
practically abandoned, the Senators
were told.
According to the information i'm
parted to the members of the COM
mittee by Army authorities who sit
in the War Council, the chief trouble
with the Bristol plane has been in
the matter of providing a motor for
ii. The plane is two-seater of the
fighting type and requires a spe-
cially dependable motor. Experiments
made with various types of motors.
including the Liberty Motor. have
sustain the flight of the heavy plane.
In the use of the liberty motor,
it was explained to the senators
that the radiation was faulty SO
far as this particular type OF mo-
tor was concerned. The trials
showed that the motor became
over-heated in attempting to keep
up the power necessary to propei
the heavy plane. Other motors used
in the experiments failed to pro-
duce sufficient power to drive the
plane and its weight of equipment.
Ordnance Fails.
The contracts for the manufac-
ture of the Bristol are held by the
Curtis plant. 1t was the plane
which was brought to the notice
of the Senate recently by Senator
Overman, when he exhibited a
broken stay wire from a Bristol
plane. The wire. he asserted. had
been filed and the hole filled with
lead so that it was weak and un-
stable and likely to break under
any severe strain.
The committee members also
learned there has been little i'm
provement in the matter of manu-
facture of heavy ordnance. This
subject has been under inquiry by
a subcommittee, of which, Senators
Hitchcock. Fletcher, B e C k m a n,
Wadsworth and Weeks are mem
bers.
The members of this subcommittee
conferred with Assistant Secretary
of War Stettinius, and learned from
him that condiaons. already reported
bad by the subcommittee, have not
improved. 1t is stated that America
is still dependent upon France for
heavy cannon, and that France is
being taxed to great limits to sup
ply them.
Mr.. Stettinius agreed to accom-
pany the subcommittee on a tour of
the gun factories next week.
The committee has taken no action
in the matter of the charges made
against Gutzon Borglum, showing his
connection with the formation of a
company to engage in airplane man.
ufacture. No arrangements have been
made to have Borglum before the
committee and he is not under sub
poenae as a witness. Borglum has
never testified before the committee,
although he gave to Senator Hitch
cock in private the names of a num-
ber of persons, who. he said, could
substantiate his charges against Of
ficials of the Aircraft Production
Board.
The committee has the names of
Borglum's witnesses under consider
alton, but has not taken any steps
towards calling any of them.
Senator Chamberlain and Senator
Hitchcock, Chairman and Vice chaiI-
man of the committee who have had
a leading part in the committees in
vestigation of the War Department,
take the position that it is not the
business of the committee to inquire
into Borglum's motives nor his N
terest in any aircraft matters, but
to ascertain whether the conditions
charged by him are true.
Although determined that the DE
partment of Justice shall have full
latitude in its investigation of all
phases of the aircraft situation, Pres
ident Wilson, it became known, has
directed that nothing must be allowed
to slow up the work of producing air.
planes.
The new turn to the situation,
caused by the publication of the cor
respondence involing Gutzon Borglum,
1t was said, has not altered the Pres
ident's purpose to let the investiga-
tions proceed.