Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-05-12
Borglum's Statement.

Mr.. Borglum 8 statement follows:
us Sv pesas oa
Mix, and Mix's engineer. Their first and
| foremost charge is that l used the
| Presidents authority improperly and
in a manner unthinkable between men
| in mutual confidence. 1 deny this as a
frame up shaped especially to offend.
as 1t properly should, the President.
My regret is that 1t seems to have been
successful. and he published, unfairly
his letters to me. About this time I
received further information from
confidante of the President that the
administration now possessed a club
that would put me out of business if
did not quit.
Their second charge is that was
party to. or in some way or another
was secretly engaged in airplane pro-
duction, using my position and conf
dence of the President to this advan-
tage. l deny that falsehood in every
detail as unfounded, without reason Or
support.
Says Mix Charged Board.
II wish also to add, regarding Mr..
Mix, that he came to my attention
aircraft board. and submitted lengthy
typed statement charging the aircraft
department with culpable retardation
and delays prejudicial to the interests
y.
statement was returned to Mr.. Mix at
his earnest pleading after he had con-
fessed that he had been in touch with
a uniformed member of the board, and
by his own statement had been heavily
commissioned by that member.
Mix is witness for specific charges
of crookedness. he himself charges
against Col. Deeds and Deeds partners
and will, if the government does not
persist in whitewashing this entire
he N n
party with Deeds in matters Mix him
self designated as crooked
Pro-German influence.
"Regarding Mr.. Bakers statement
of pro-German influence: This unfor-
tunate statement from an officer of
the government whose office has resist
ed successfully every effort to investi-
gate and get at the truth upon any
subject relating to the war, and whose
department Is SO amply supplied with
advisers close in the confidence of the
Secretary, of Teuton origin, is ludi-
crouS.
Il do not here impugn the patriotism
of any of these men. l do say candidly
and emphatically that it is unfair to
ask German blood, though born in
America to be as prompt as war de-
mands in the execution of their orders
against their fatherland. Never has a
department of government of great
nation submitted an agent of its
executive to such contemplate, un-
Justified sloughing and general inter-
ference as was prosecuted against me
in my work. and l challenge Mr.. Baker
or any department of the. government
to investigate or to explain and justify
in any way their conduct in this.
Blames War Department.
"Every American knows now that the
War Department has systematically di- |
rected the opposition to investigate, i
that every subterfuge has been re- !:
sorted to. to gain time. Every investi- !
cation. and there have been many. has !:
been instituted with prayer and hope
that d clean bill would be secured. and /
1t is now clear that this final frame-up !
was deliberately planned and laid in !
preparation to destroy the value and
validity of my investigation. L
at should not be forgotten that
have been accused, indirectly. of the
death of Blakeley, a fine. sober youth.
who lost his life at Mineola on the
nth Of January. through the failure Of