Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-11
War Department Turns On
It's Principal Accuser,
GutzOn Borglum.
CHARGE HE PROMOTED FIRM
WHILE CONDUCTING INQUIRY
Man Who Charged Officers
With Graft Becomes Tar
get in Probe.
CLAIMS WILSON'S FRIENDSHIP
Accusations Arc Branded as "Base-
less Lies" as Senate Military
Committee Prepares to Act.

WASHINCToN. May lo--A new ana
sensational twist to the army aircraft
scandal was given to-day when ;hc War
Department turned on it's principal ac-
cuser. Gutzon BorEium.
Through Senator Thomas. OF Colo
rado, spokesman for the administration
on the Military Affairs Committee. the
government caused TO be read into the
Congressional Record 1900 words oil
correspondence and ,itidavits tending 20
show that at the very time Borgium
was collecting Information upon which
he charged officers OF the government
with graf, no was using his position as
the Presidents Investigator to organize
an airplane COMPANY
With him in tho proposed formation
OF the company. the correspondence and
anidavits tended To show. was Hugo {
Gibson. described as an attache of the
British Ministry of War.
Henry Harrison Supplce. of the Dodge
Motor Car Company, who was 10 have
been associated with Borglum and Glib
son in tn. enterprise. furnished the mill
itary intelligence section OF the army
which is the Military Secret service
,MemoTa ndum FOR the confidential IN.
formation OF military intelligence Sec
tion, United states Army:
- That in ali of the relations con-
cern:ng the matter OF promotion Of
stock COMPANY for the manufacture Of
a!rplancs. during which | wls pres.n;
at several conferences with the prot-c-
tors OF this enterprise. a. a consulting
- sr rp
Mas never any other understanding OF
,his project hu, tina, Mr. I5orgium was
10 be represented in the corporation by
Mr.. Harris. ana that his sole asset in
the transaction WAS 10 be, first. his per
sonal Friendship and association win
President wilson. whom no stated he
could do anything he wanted wi;h.
GAvE PRGSPECTORs IDEA
HE HAS TECHNICAL PLAN y
go. AS A further asset In this com
mcrcial venture. Mr.. BorSlum stated.
and gave every one concerned IN The
matter to understand, that his position
witi the Aircraft Production Board and
tho aerial section Of the signal Corps.
Unitef States Army, was such ,ha he
could obtain for their use plans and
technical details which this company
could use. and thus save considera b y.
both in time and money. in beginning.
-. That one OF the partners ut ihiS
concSrn Was 10 have been Mr.. Hugo &.
Gibson. who is connected with the Brit
ish Ministry OF War in the United
States. Offices a, 100 Broadway New
York City, who proposed that certain
patents ~hch ne controlled would De
used by |. company. and who also
stated that he would be able TO inhu-
ence orders for airplanes in such way
that this company might receive the
bcneht thercfrom.
~. That | was given to understaho
by Mr.. Borglum that the present per-
soanel OF the aircraft board was highly
distasteful TO him. and he was con-
stantly criticizins their work. That
he definitely proposed 10 change this
personnel by virtue of his friendship
with President Wilson and that he
asked me 10 suggest members for The
new board which would be more friend
ly to him in his projects. That avoid
cd giving him any definite answers
along this line. That in the event OF
newly created Aircraft Board being
formed therewouid then be no difficult
ty IN securing advantage TO the pro-
posed organization"
BorSlum. according TO an affidavit
supplied by Kenyon &. Mix. Jr., one of
the controlling owners Of the Dodge
Company, was to be represented in the
proposed company by Benjamin Har-
ris, president OF the Standard Smclting Z
and Refining Company of New York.
BoRGLUM nRANDS CHARGES
MADE AS "BASELESs LIES
Mr.. Borglum let, Washington for
New York this afternoon. Before leav-
ing the city he branded the charges
as "baselcss lies.
He is expected 10 be summoned al
most Immediately back 10 Washing
Ton by the Senate Military Affairs Corn
mittee, which. as we'll as the Depart
ment OF Justice. is conducting an in
vestigation into the original charges
made by Eorgium TO the effcc, shat
protitcarinc. graft and other practices
on the part OF officials connected with
the aircraft program were responsible
for the delay in supplying the army
with flying machines. IIc will he sab
jected to searching examination ON
the basis cf the correspondence and
affidavits made public to-day.
The information which Senat,r
Thomas transmitted TO the Senate wa.
sent TO him by II. w. Mix. president
of the Dodge Manufacturing Company
OF Misha waka, Ind. whose son. Ken
yon w. Mix. Interested himself in The
Formation of a comnany Of which Bor-
glum and N. G. Gibson. an engineer
In the employ of tn" British Ministry
i Of Munit ions. were to he associated
In long statement by Kenyon w
Mix, he relates that while on train
Continued on Second Page.)