Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-07-24
u. s. MAY TAKE
AIRCRAFT PLANTS
Senate Committee Favors
Their Direction by the
Government
TO END ALIEN PERIL
Unified Control Believed Nee.
ecessary to Highest Effici.
ency in Operation
TO END ALIEN PERIL
vash,nrtcn, July 24.-CBv I. y. s).

Washington, July 2i.-CBy I. y. S).
The taking over a nd operation by the
United States Of all aircraft plants now
holding Government contracts will he the
principal recommendation of the Senate
Aircraft Investigating Committee in its
Forthcoming report to the Senate. 1t was
learned authoritatively today Prelim-
mary work upon the report has begun,
but hearings are continuing and IT is
doubtful whether 1t w II be completed and
filed by August /.
Witnesses before the committee this
week are officials of the aircraft cor
porations which the committee will sug
gest should be under Government con-
'trol. officials of the Wright Dayton
plant, which has turned out virtually
all the combat planes thus far shipped
to France. were heard today
Taking over the plants would not only
add to their efficiency under unified con-
troll. but would eliminate any danger of
alien operation. a case in point il that
of the Standard aircraft plant at Eliza
beth. y. j., which is operated by the Jap
anese.
Abandonment by the aircraft produC-
tion board of the Bristol two-seated fight
ing plane has been followed by the adop-
tion of new model. the IS. +. - it was
learned today, This machine will not be
equipped with the Liberty motor. but
will carry the successful Hspana- Suiza
engine and will be Of the Spad type. II
will be the only single-seated machine
manufactured in the United States for
use abroad
Assertions that 500. 100000 had been
lost in the abandonment of the Bristol
model was denied today by Chairman
Thomas, of the Senate committee
g.,
program is fairly satisfactory, committee
members believe. However, there still
is much room for Improvement The
committee will find that criticisms in
| the Senate early in the year were fully
| justified and that the progress since
that time has been due in no small
| measure to them. John n Ryan, the
new director of aircraft production, vii
! be given credit for unCeasing effort tC
| make the program success
| Two Quarrels have heen uncovered hN
| the Senate committee. either one or botl
| of which may be commented upon ir
| its report. First. there Is the uuarre
| between American fliers and the aircraft
production board over the merits of the
| DeHaviland -Four" the only type OF
combat plane that has been sent to tn,
| American forces abroad. The other is
the quarrel between the English manu-.
| facturers of the Hadley-Page and the
| Italian makers of the Caproni bombing
! plane. both striving to have their ma.
chanes adopted as the only type for the
use of the American army.
Members of the committee promise
"one or two sensations" in their re.
port. but refuse to disclose their ma
ture- It is emphasized however. thai
they have nothing to do with graft ir
the aircraft program. Graft charges
are being investigated only by Charles
! F. Hughes and Attorney Genera
Gregory Once or twice the committe,
has CROSSED the trail" cf the former
presidential candidate. hut It has II
no instance encroached on his field
approximately 500 DeHavila nt
planes have been shipped to the forces
abroad" said Senator Thomas. chair.
man of the committee. These ar,
| round numbers. 1t is impossible TO give
exact figures, for it is not possible tc
tell how many are on the water o,
have beer lost on the way"