Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-02-17
kTION PROGRAM
 |ARACTERIzED AS | RIOT OF WASTE
bvs C. 0. P. Majority but Democrat Thinks
 Differently
kMs REPUBLICANS EEK SENSATIONAL1SM
Attacked by Former and De. bded by Latter-Reports are Almost Thru
 out Length

out LengCH
 shineton, Feb. 16.--Reports of
 ong continued investigation of
 ircraft production program were
 hted today in the house from
 pecial committee inquiring into
 Expenditures.
 bresentatives Frear and Magee,
 Two republicans of the subcom-
 characterized the aviation
 lam in their report as a "riot
 taste" and Representative Lea,
 cratic member, declared in his
 It that the republican members
 sacrificed facts for sensational
 in an effort to discredit the gov
 ent.
 th reports contain, thousands of
 s. They differ in the record of
 evemcnt in shipping American
 lanes abroad and in performance
 he aircraft production.
 prominent part of both reports |ven to the controversy over the lection of John D. Ryan, former ctor of aircraft production, with
 truction of government-built Toad, which it is charged. re- hd to the benefit of the Chicago, kaukee and St. Paul road, of eh MT. Ryan is a director.
 isclaiming any attempts to de- hine motives, the majority report If MT. Ryan's statement Of. dis |restedness is true he has been t unfortunate in handling a pub matter that in the judgment of r committee covered a flimsy eff
 to promote large private busi- 3 interests, and was accompanied blundering explanations"
 h contracts the minority report The evidence shows MT. Ryan practically abandoned his own kiness affairs and devoted him- to the services of his official Ffes. Without directly charging it., report of the majority insinuates hn used his power as head of air It production to cause selection of Lake Crescent route for the lefit of the Milwaukee railroad. purpose to construct a railroad m Lake Pleasant connecting with Milwaukee at some point on it's 3, was determined several weeks ore MT. Ryan was connected with aircraft service. The Lake scent route was selected over the position of the Milwaukee road to the moment the decision was de The Milwaukee road con- ded for the surveyed extension of own route which served it's in- ests tar better than the present te. The Lake Crescent was the route the government could have ected to serve it's purpose"
 i, Alleged Waste.
 ne majority report characterizes transaction as "a remarkable Tn Of circumstances" and adds on the surface "the stake being yea for ill the abortive attempt to duce spruce lumber in Washing and Obregon was for control of lumber interests in the northwest 1T the war" The majority pays fipute to the Providence Journal
 patriotic loggers and lumber !, who 1t says rendered great nc service in bringing the mat to light.
 esldes MT. Ryan, the majority re- t attacks his assistant. w. c. Pot Colonel Edward A. Deeds, who ceded Ryan in aircraft produc- ana Secretary Baker as respon- e mead of the aircraft production gram. It describes the program an appalling record of orders and nter orders, ignorance and ex- 'agance, evidence of self interest Improper practices"
 It IS not the province of this com tee, says the report, "to declare measure if responsibility of any cial, but we believe we would be ellct in our duty if we failed to sent what we believed to be the ses. Tor Americas failure in avia- ana the resulting lack of confi- se Tn any present war depart its aviation plan."
 detail the majority report es up the alleged waste and ex- sagance in early airplane ap- p;Ilation. The failure of the De- .nand planes, the alleged failure set sufficient American planes to front, the spruce production pro h the northwest, millions of al- ,t ,t wastes on cost price plus con- iss is and many specific charges of s.'ciency and squandering of mill H of dollars.
 le minority report replies to the ority findings as "intemperate, sea, an exaggeration of alleged o,,s sanes Y ana n misstatements," "gra- .Iss | reflection upon men who - uiiy served the government" "
 . repetition of defamatory 'an ses admittedly unsustained by
 Blames Baker.
 rm the majority report rs ss mat only 213 planes had been ppea to the front up to the armis- as ana that these were .DeHavi- us aangerous and known as "fly- coIiins," the minority report sH 'tn oi construction and forestry = '.et nrig. Gen. M. A. Patrick, di- i aons or the A. E. F., as saying ns ,saEer percentage of De Havilanda as own m flames than other nsu MT Lea asserted that only ,mies mias.,snas s,nn out of 4l7 ,sentsove
 were lost. The majority de
 
 oontanued on Pass a