The Washington herald., 1920-02-17
Majority Report of House
Investigating Committee
|. Cnticises Baker and
Ryan for Management
During World War.
.INDORSES PROPOSAL
OF NEW DEPARTMENT
Billion Spent, But Only 7N
Planes Provided - MI
nonty Finding Charac-
terizes Aspersions as
Biased and Vhupera-
tive"

Charges Of extravaganza and in
efficiency arc made against the
War Department by the majority
report of the House aircraft in
vcstigating committee, of which
Representative Frcar, Republican.
Of Wisconsin, is chairman. The
report was presented yesterday to
the House Select Committee on
Expenditures in the War Depart
ment.
A minority report, filed by Rep
resentativc Lea, Of California.
Democratic member OF the invcs-
tigating subcommittee, takes a to-
tally different view and finds the
language Of the majority biased
and vituperstivc"
For Separate Service.
The majority report recommends a
separate air service. and criticiscs
the management Of Secretary Baker.
John ID. Ryan. former Director Of
Aircraft, and a number Of other Of
ihcers in charge Of the construction
iof aircraft The report states that
though H.ooaOco.ooO was expended. the
lclose of the war found only ~
planes with the American army at
the front.
while the American people rn,o
lgrudgingly and were beguiled with
4 promises Of 9o.ooO American airplan.s
that were to precede our American
armies in France" says thc repori,
when the armistico was signed
Americas lighting airplsne expecta-
tions and promises existed only on
paper"
The committees report T. the re-
suit OF six months investigation of
projects undertaken by the War
department in connection with air
craft production. In addition TO it,
own inquiry. it drew also on the
reports OF a similar committee il
the Senate and the report OF former
Justice Charles f. Hughes. who was
commissioned by the President 10
make an investigation Of the air
lcraft production program.
CritIcIsn OF Ryan.
Mr.. Ryan was expected TO un-
learn singleness OF personal inter-
est and TO direct his. future ener-
gies toward a carefully considered
aircraft program" il is asserted.
Mr.. Ryan did not rise above hi,
advisers who had conspicuousIy
failed to meet the situation.
In the location and building Of
the Siems-Carey $4,000. 600 logging
road and in connection with the
s2S.ooOOOO spruce contract. Mr..
Ryan's activities have been dis
lclosed. His disclaimer Of any pur-
pose to advance his own interests
or those OF Mr.. Carey. one Of his
business friends. or Of the Milwau-
kee road. OF which he was a high
official. have been presented to your
committee.
The chapter dealing with Secretary
Baker cites his appointment of men
TO responsible positions although he
knew they had no experience in the
manufacture of aircraft. and recalls
his failure to institute court-martlaI
PROCEEDINGS against Col. Edward A.
Deeds, as was suggested by Judge {.
Z. Hughes.
Unreadine,s for War.
The report declares that no prepa-
rations, from an aeronautical stand
point. had been made by the War de-
psrtment before the declaration of
war. The report thereafter, para
phrased and summarized. follows:
The initial appropriation for an am
force by Congress was s.. go GO. .Oc0. Ia
the nineteen succeeding months, Up
to the close OF the war. the War De-
partment spent more than 81 90 OnoO1.
and during this period had sent only
2l3 DeHsviland- observation planes to
the front
All told. the greatest number of
planes used by the American army ct
"A the front was go. as compared with
AZ fighting planes possessed by
/ France. LIS by England and 273O by
iGermany.
Make 5000 Changes-
More than s50OoO.OOO was spent in
building 1000 clumsy, dangerous DH-f
observation planes. the design Of which
underwent 1900 changes. A few OF
these were shipped to France where
aviators united In denouncing them
as fighting shiT's.
Another ss.osoeOO was wasted in
striving to Mt a Liberty mctor into q
type of converted Bristol machine. but
J the material later was scrapped. Sew
enteen million dollars additional went
for experiments with training planes,
which also were scrapped.
A War Department statement that
In 900 planes were manufactured In this
country during the war is termed an
exaggeration.
No lighting planes were Sver
built. and the majority OF our 1ght-
ing aircraft secured from the allies
was obsolete.