Connecticut western news., 1920-09-09

uS ClO0C 1uI1lAA1NJ OCLWCCh OS<N and the man whose connection with the waste of billion dollars on avia- tion was so intimate tht Justice Hughes demanded his court martial, is illustrated by the fact that on the night of February 22nd, 1919, which was the night preceding the arrival in Columbus of the World war sol- diers of the famous Ninth Ohio regi- ment, Cox attended a banquet in Dayton in honor of the "Billion Dollar Colonel;" and next day was either too tired, or did not think it of sufficient importance, to attend the welcome of the returned soldiers in the state capital.
 As a matter of fact, there was no official welcome rendered on the part of the state to these veterans, the national colors were not even flying over the state capitol when they marched past. As a consequence of this neglect, Cox was censured by the legislature and the flag was or dered displayed on the State House upon the arrival of any troop con- tingent.
 Some of the facts upon which Justice Hughes based his recommen- dation for the court martial of Deeds are of particular interest in this campaign because of Governor Cox's close, intimate association with the man. There are three avia- tion fields located in or near Dayton, Ohio. One is the Wilbur Wright field of 2,7OO acres near Osborne; an- other is the Cook field of 500 acres in North Dayton; the third is south of Dayton in the valley which is overlooked by Trailsend, home of Governor Cox. This latter field was controlled during the war by the Dayton Wright Aeroplane Company, the leading stockholders of which are H. E. Talbott, Harold Talbott and E. A. Deeds. The plant is To- cated on tract of land which has been named Moraine City.
 The Law Cox Forced Through.
 The location of these aviation fields is closely allied with the Miami Conservancy District, in that the head of the Miami Conservatory Dis trict, B. A. Deeds, was also the nov ing factor in having the aviation fields and munitions plants located at Dayton. The Miami Conservatory District was created under a law which Governor Cox forced through the legislature during his first term. In general terms, it involved a scheme to prevent such floods as have devastated the region in past years.
 It was under this law that the Conservancy district board of direc- tors, E. A. Deeds, chairman, secured options on practically all desirable land in the valley around Dayton. When the war came on and it was desired to locate various aviation fields, Deeds, who had been placed upon the federal munitions board, became active in having an aviation field located at this point.
 Incidentlly, coincident with his ap- pointment as a member of the fed eral munitions board, he announced that he has disposed of his stock in the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company, the so-called Delco con- cern, which was large plant en- gagged in the manufacture of war munitions and aeroplane parts. Then when the question of locating an aviation field came up, Deeds became active and one of the immediate results was the formation of a hold ing company, which took over certain options from the Conservancy dis trict. Deeds name did not appear in connection with this holding com pany, though it was formed by his close business associates who were able in forty-eight hours to offer to the government a tract of 2,7OO acres along the railroad, which in due time became the Wilbur Wright Avition Field. It is to be noted that this land was part of that on which the Conservancy district, Deeds, chairman of the board, has options and which the third parties who had secured control of it were in a posi- tion to make quick transfer to the federal government.
 Deeds, in the meantime, had been
 
 made colonel in the United States army, on the recommendation of Governor Cox. And here is one fact of particular interest-at the time his commission was handed to him, Deeds was a civil officer within the state of Ohio, in that he was the chairman of board of directors Cf | a taxing district, which had mower +o levy and collect taxes, tc make cor tracts and to disburse money. The revised statutes of the United States say that military office whc ac- cepts a civil office CT performs the duties thereof shall immediately forfeit his military title. Yet iron, the time of Colonel Deeds appoint ment as an officer in the federal uiIi- tary establishment up to the time he l nc 114 T