The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-05-11
HENRY HARRISON SUPPLEE
IN STATEMENT UNCOV-
ERS SOME FACTS.

regarding Sculptor Guton Borglum's
alleged connection with an air
plane manufacturing company, con-
tinues a sensation here.
a summary of the negotiations
signed by Henry Harrison Supplee,
who participated as consulting
engineer, declared Borglum was to
be represented in the corporation by
a Mr.. Harris and that Borglum's
sole asset in the transaction was to
be, first, his personal friendship and
association with President Wills IN,
whom he stated he could do any
thing he wanted with"
The statements about Suplee, i'll
the war department official files,
in part are as follows:
81. That in all matters relating to
the manufacture of airplanes, dur
ing which | was present at several
conferences with the projectors of
vhe enterprise, as consulting engl-
neer, | desire to state that there was
never any other understanding OF
this project but that Mr.. Borglum
was to be represented in the cor
poration by Mr.. Harris, and that
his sole asset in the transaction was
to be, first, his personal friendship
and association with President Viii
son, whom he stated he could do
anything he wanted with.
~. AS further asset in this com
mercial venture, Mr.. Borglum stat
ed, and gave every one concerned
in this matter to understand that
his position with the aircraft pro-
duction board and the aerial sec
ton of the signal corps, U. S. A,
was such that he could obtain for
their use plans and technical de
tails which this company could use
and thus save considerable time and
money in beginning operations.
50. One OF the partners in his
firm was to be Hugo Gibson, who
was connected with the British
ministry of war, in the United
States, offices l20 Broadway, New
York City. who proposed that GER
tain patents which he controlled
would be used by this company
and who also stated that he would
be able to influence orders for air
planes in such a wa ythat this COM
pany might receive the benefit there
from.
Statement BY Mix.
A statement by Mix, made as was
Suplee's to the army intelligence
bureau, takes up his story OF the
present aircraft corporation when
he encountered on train en- route
to Washington, i'll December, l9l/,
two men who later turned out to
be Borglum and Gibson. He says
he was attracted by their conver-
sation as to the progress OF the
Dayton-W Wright Aircraft Company
on government contracts, and on
getting into conversation with them
he later told of the desire of his
own company the Dodge Manutac-
turing Company, to enter the field
of aircraft production.
These two men intimated to
me-" MiX's statement continues,
that they could produce designs
for plane which would be faster
and steadier in the air than the Al
batross and which would weigh less.
(The statement says the Dodge
Manufacturing Comapny had de-
signs for the Albatross machine
which it had intended to develop,)
Having at that time the inter
est of the Dodge Manufacturing
Company in mind and being par
ticularly anxious to become part
of any organization which goes
into the manufacture of airplanes
having monocoque fusilages, | led
the gentlemen to believe that we
would welcome any suggestions
which would furnish the design |
and power plant for high speed
tests.
He Calls on Them.
Mr.. Borglum and Mr.. Gibson
were very insistent that l call upon
them in New York on my way up |
from Washington, which 1 did on
December Is, 1917. | did not see
Mr.. Borghm, but talked to him
over the long distance telephone at
Stamford. He insisted that | see
Mr.. Gibson at once. l did so and
learned from Mr.. Gibson that Mr..
.Borglum had certain confidential
which would be to our
advantage as well as his own"
Mix then described his talk with
Gibson and attached copy of a
1etter he wrote to Gibson giving
details of the capacity of the Dodge
plant and again laying stress on the
fact that design and power plant
for a type of plane was all the com
pany lacked to begin marufactur-
ing. He then exhibited copy OF
a telegram from Borglum dated at
Stamford, December 81, l9D:
Like your suggestion to Glib
son. Write me fully part you and
your company can play. L have
staff of experts with the best for
eign experience who can come close
to delivery one hundred per cent
article. Necessary can arrange IL
y IL