New-York tribune., 1920-10-21

The folioWing article as the fourth
Of a series reredling tchat the tnefj-
cheney Of the Administration cost the
people OF the United States in the cont
duct Of the World War.
Evidence produced before Congress
slonal committees and in a special in
vestigation conducted by former JUS
tice Charles +. Hughes indicated that
incompetence and inexperience were
mainly responsible for the failure of
Americas war aircraft program, which
cost the American people about
Sl,051 ,000,0 900.
In May. 1917, Secretary of War
Baker created the Aircraft Production
Board 1t consisted of men who knew
nothing about aeroplanes. The chair
man was Howard f. Coffin, vicepresi-
dent of the Hudson Motor Company,
and other members were Sidney D.
Waldron, former vice president OF the
Packard company; Ropert L. Mont
gomery. Philadelphia banker: the
Chief Signal Officer of the Army: Ad-
mral Taylor, of the Navy, and Edward
A. Deeds, a Dayton (Ohio) manufac-
turer.
The Aircraft Production Board was
advisory. The active producing divi-
sion was the equipment division Of
aviation, headed by Mr. Deeds, who
held the provisional rank of calonel in
the army. In January, 1918, Robert L.
Montgomery became head of the divi-
sion, but the Hughes report said it was
"apparent that Colonel Deeds remained
in practical charge" Other changes
were made later in the executive CON
troll of the division, but, according to
testimony, no man connected with it
knew aviation.
Only 213 Planes Produced
All Investigations agreed that though
the managers of the aviation program
spent more than a billion dollars, they
produced nothing for use at the Ameri-
can front in France but 213 observation
planes which were described in testi-
mony as badly constructed and highly
dangerous
The evidence before the Thomas Sen
ate committee and in the Hughes inves-
tlgatlon indicated that plans u develop
foreign planes of proved success and
efficiency were scrapped and efforts
were pooled to build aeroplanes around
the Liberty motor.
j ne Liberty motor. according to this
evidence. was based on airplane models
produced before our declaration of war
by the Packard Company and were
equipped with the Delco ignition sys-
TEN, produced by company in Dayton,
IL which Colonel Deeds mad been hcav-
liy interested
The Snad the best and fastest of all
French fighting machines, was one of
those rejected. It's production on a
quantity basis, according to the evi-
dence, could have been made possible
without much difficulty The Senate
committee report, made in August
1915, three months before the armnstice
explained regarding the Spa 1!
Could Produce 100 Planes Daily
The spad is a chasse machine, or
fighting plane, of the highest type
Early in September O917) an oral
order was given to the Curtss Air
craft Corporation for the manufacture
Of 5000 Of these machines. Work was
at once begun and drawings practically
completed October 9 the contract was
cancelled, the reason being given that
the single seated fighter was regarded
as obsolete"
The order for Spads could have been
filled, according to Vice President KEYS
of the Curtiss Company. Congressman
Frcar of the Congressional Investigate
ing committee examined Mr. Keys as
follows:
G How many men we're you employ
ing? A Eighteen thousand seven hun
ton capacity2 A.-Our plant was de-
machines a day of any type, small ma
chimes We contracted in
September, 1918, to deliver one hun
drcd machines + daY.
The Spad was the leading French
fighting plane in the war
The committees report also said:
Our attempt to create fighting
plane was centered in an attempt to
adapt the Bristol fighter and the De
Havland to the Liberty motor The
bristol was. without sufficient tests
put IN quantity production, over S6,-
100000 expended and the lives Of sew.
eral gallant men sacrificed when the
machine was condemned and its manu-
fActure discontinued.
'Ihe cancellation of the Spad CON
tract and the failure of the Bristol left
US without either a single or two
seated tighter"
Army Appeals for Planes
The army in Franco, sorely in need
OF airplanes, on February 10, 1918, sent
TO Washington an urgent request fol
one. thousand Spad one-picce machines
equipped with the Hispano-Suiza mo
tor, the motor which the French hac
found extremely efficient The aircraft
authorities refused this request, tn,
evidence shows, because it did mot fl
We'll into our program"
The effect of our lack of fighting
planes in numbers at the front was
described for the investigating com.
mittee by witnesses. including Captain
Mckay, 164th Infantry, who tostihet
that some units lost half their effec.
tlves because the troops could not be
protected from the air. He said