Omaha daily bee., 1920-02-17
Finding Of Long-Continued In
~vestigation Of Aerial Con-
struction During War Pre-
Sented in House.
DIRECTOR UNDER FIRE
OVER RAILROAD BUILT
Charge lohn D. Ryan Laid
Government Line That Ben
Gifted Carrier of Which He
Was Director.

the long continued investigation of
aircraft production were presented
Monday in the house from the spe
cial committee inquiring into war
expenditures.
Representatives Frear and McGee,
republicans on the subcommittee
which conducted the investigation,
characterized the aviation program
in their report as riot of waste"
and Representative Lea, democrat,
declared in his report that the re-
publican members had sacrificed
facts for sensationalism in an eff
fort to discredit the government.
Reports Differ in Record.
Both reports contains thousands
of words::~ They differ entirely in
the record of achievement in ship
ping American airplanes abroad and |.
in the performance of the aircraft
production generally.
A prominent part of both reports
is gwen to the controversy over
the connection of John D. Ryan,
former director of aircraft produc-
tion, with the construction Of q
government built railroad, which, it
has been charged, rebounded to the
benefit of the Chicago, Milwaukee
& St. Paul road of which Mr.. Ryan
is. director.
Disclaiming any attempts to de-
termine motives, the majority re-
port on that point says:
Mr.. Ryan unfortunate"
"If Mr.. Ryan's statement o, dis
interestedness is true he has been
most unfortunate in handling a pub
lie matter that in the judgment of
your committee covered ffiInsy
effort to promote large private busi-
ness interests and was accompanied
by laundering explanations from be-
ginning to end"
In contrast, the minority report
by Representative Lea says:
"The evidence shows that Mr..
Ryan practically abandoned his own
business affairs and devoted himself
unremittingly to his official duties.
Without directly charging it, the re-
port of the majority insinuates that
Ryan used his power as head of air
craft, to cause selection of the Lake
Crescent route for the benefit of
the Milwaukee road. The purpose
to construct a railroad from Lake
Pleasant connecting with the Mil
waukee was determined before Mr..
Ryan was connected with the air.
craft service.
THE Lake Crescent route was Sc
lected over the resolution of the
Milwaukee road up to the moment
the decision was made. The Mil
waukee contended for the surveyed
extension of its own route which
served its interests for better than
the present route. The Lake Cres-
cent was distinctively the best route
the government could hav selected
to serve its purposes.
Remarkable Circumstances
The majority report, however,
characterizes the>transaction as "a
remarkable chain of circumstances"
and adds that under the surface.
the stake being played for in the
abortive attempt to produce spruce
lumber in Washington and Oregon
was for control of the lumber in
terests in the northwest after the
war" The majority report pays
tribute to the Providence Journal
and patriotic loggers and lumber
men," who, it says, rendered
great public service" in bringing the
matter to light.
Besides Mr.. Ryan the majority
report attacks his assistant, Viii
liam c. Potter. Col. Edward A,
Deeds. who preceded Ryan in air
craft production, and Secretary,
Baker as responsible head of the
aircraft production program. 1t de-
scrlbes the program as IAN appal-
ling record OF orders and counter
orders, ignorance and dickering.
waste and extravaganza. evidence of
self-interest and improper practices.
Explain Americas Failure.
st is not the province of the
committee" says the majority re-
pol =, W uCS.diS tHe IlCdSuIG Oh re-
Lsponsibility of any official, but we
would be derlect in our duty if
we failed to prevent what we be-
lieved TO be. the causes for Ameri-
cas- failure in aviation and the re-
sulting lack of confidence in any
present War department aviation
plan"
In detail the majority report takes
cp TIE allie ged waste and extrava-
gance in the early aircraft appro-
priations. the alleged failure of the
De Haviland planes, the alleged fail
ure to get sufficient American planes
to the battle front, the spruce pro-
duction project in the northwest,
millions of alleged wastes on cost
plus contracts and many specific
charges of inefficiency and squand-
ering OF millions of dollars.
In turn, Representative Lca's'