The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-03-12
NO FAILURE IN UNITED STATES
 AIRCRAFT WORK Representative c. F. Lea Vigorously Defends War
 Expenditures. Says Report Made By
 Committee Was Absurd Gives Facts and Figures Concerning American
 Pliers in France.

Washington, D. C., March 12---''A diligent search of the archives of Con- gress will not reveal more absurd con- tentions and groundless conclusions than are set forth in the report before us today" said Representative C1ar- ence F. Lea, Democrat, of California, speaking in the House of Representa- lives of the Frear subcommittee re- bort on the aircraft investigation con- ducted by the Republican House se- lect committee on war expenditures.
 "A cartoonist takes a perfectly nor nal man, .exaggerates facial defects, places one ear one-half inch too low and the other one-half inch too high The result is monstrosity. The re- port in this case resembles a cartoon ist's pen york; continued MT. Lea, who exposed in detail the distortion of the true accomplishments in aircraft production made by the Republican members of the subcommittee, Rep resentative F'rear, of Wisconsin, and Representative Magee, of New York.
 Americas aircraft effort was not a failure," declared MT. Lea. Mistakes were made; but too much was accom- plished for any intelligent fair judg- ment to call it a failure. During the war, America acquired 16,S31 planes. of which she manufactured 11,760. She
 
 manufactures 30 630. She developed the Liberty engine. She sent her bombing planes over the lines and dropped 275,00O pounds of explosives on enemy operations. Her aviators went to combat and for every machine that went down in battle, more than two and a half of the enemy fell. Her pilots flew more than 35,000 hours over the battle area, flying a distance of 3, ,50O0 600 miles.
 America furnished France material for 5000 engines and 1900 airplanes and 10000 tons of spare parts and ma chine tools. We sent them vast quan- titles of cotton fabric and delivered to them over 90,OO0, GOO feet of airplane lumber and over 30,0O0 tons of wood chemicals. We delivered them 1885 engines; we maintained 15.000 men in English factories, and furnished over 4,OO0 more to release F'rerchme for work in their airplane factories. In fact, when the authentic history of this war is written, it will be freely conceded that the American aircraft effort made possible the maintenance of Allied aircraft at the front, and finally led to Allied predominance by over 100 per cent.
 "Concede every mistake that intelli- gent criticism can assert, an effort that accomplished these things can never be called a failure"
 Of the majority reports suggestion that possibly s, 900, 600 could be reocv- cred from John D. Ryan and others connected with the aircraft board for money spent in building railroad to develop a large stand of spruce in Washington for aircraft lumber, MT Lea said:
 At the time the construction of this road was determined, no material was more pressingly needed at the front than airplane lumber. The at tempt of MT. Ryan to provide it in adequate quantities was commenda- ble. There is no more reason why we should recover that money from Ryan than there is for suing John Pershing for the powder fired at the enemy by the American soldiers at Chateau Thierry."
 Of the Frear-Magee effort to dis credit American airplane lumber pro- duction by comparison with Canadian, MT. Lea showed that in one year the United States produced 143,O00,000 feet; in ten months, Canada produced 26,- 5OO, 900 feet. Under Canadian specifi- cations, contrasted with American, their lumber represented only 50 per cent. of usea.ble material under Amer ican specifications.
 Of the majority reports reference to American-made planes as flying coffins,' MT. Lea said that America lost 290 planes in combat. Of these, 8 were American made,'' he declared. Of these, eight went down in flames (from incendiary bullets). Members of this committee have made many speeches about flaming cofins.' In fact, the route of this committee across the continent could be trailed by flaming speeches. In the World War, 1000, ,OG0 men perished. One hun dred thousand sons of America are sleeping in France where they died heroically for their country. After the investi gation of this war, this com mittee finds the principal topic for dis cussion to be eight flaming cofhns.'
 Further, the report declares that 1000 of these American built planes were scrapped in France. Six hun dred and twelve were returned to America from France. Thus, accord ing to the report. General Pershing performed a more wonderful miracle than that of the loaves and fishes. Out of 213 machines, he burned up 1000 and returned 612 to America
 ''To try to divert the facts to serve personal animuS of artisan ends is an offense against our country. The great purpose for which America spent her money was victory. That she attained with unexpected prompt ness and with brilliant, unquestioned