Evening star., 1934-02-13
James V. Martin, Aviation
Pioneer, Names Firms
in Combination.
CHARGES DEPARTMENTS
HERE ARE HONEYCOMBED
American Aluminium Co. Charged
With Taking Share of
Contracts.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
An assertion that rs cents out of
every dollar spent by the War and
Navy Departments for airplanes is
stolen" by members of what he
called the air trust" was made to-
day before the House Military Com
mittee by James V. Martin, an avia-
ton pioneer
Asked for specific information,
Martin named the Curtiss-W Wright,
att-Whitney, General Aviation and
Boeing companies.
He testified in the investigation OF
airplane contracts just as another
House committee decided to call the
Aluminium Co. of America to explain
testimony that one airplane builder
was compelled to pay 10 per cent OF
his manufacturing cost to the alumni
mum concern.
Says None Dare Oppose.
Martin said every Army and Navy
airplane contract is secretly and
collusively" let and that the depart
ments are "honeycombed with agents
and employees Of this trust"
There is not a single man in the
Army or Navy who dares oppose the
control exercised by the air trust" he
contended.
These men fear the loss of every
thing dear to them-their regulations
their careers. their life in the Army
Martin, asserting he made the first
fight over London and that he built
the first bomber ever contracted for
by the Government, told the commit
tee that the ohio gang under Col
(E. A. Deeds have complete control
of aviation.
He said some of the same COM
panies now exposed for their airmail
dealings have been doing far worse
on Army and Navy contracts.
Sees Service Impaired.
Because of the operations of the "ail
trust" Martin testified. this year
contracts we're let for planes with 81
to 100 miles an hour less speed thar
those offered by competent" plane
builders.
This Nation for II years." he asa
serted, has been the victim of gi-
gantic, insidious conspiracy by small
group of banking brokers.
I'VE are 10 to IL years behind what
we reasonably could expect our pres
ent aviation to be-"
Before the naval affairs subcom-
mittee, Lawrence Grumman OF the
Grumman Aviation Co., Pennington
Long Island. testified 10 per cent OF
his manufacturing cost was attributa-
BILE to payments for aluminium. He
added he could buy no aluminium from
any source except the aluminium Co
of America.
Forced to Keep Silent.
Martin said he thought Brig. Gen
H. Conger Pratt was an excellent Of
fcer and a man." but that circum-
stances forced him to keep silent.
He said he once wrote to Pratt, say
ing aviations pioneers should be giveI
chance in building planes for th'
Army and Navy, and in reply Prat
agreed. but referred to circumstance
over which the Air Corps has no con
troll"
Martin testified, too, number o
men in the Army had left the service
to go to work for private companies
and later had returned to the service
Although he declined to name th'
men in public hearing, he promised
Representative James, Republican, o.
Michigan, that he would give th'
names in an executive session with thu
committee.
Martin now operates the Martir
Airplane Co. of Garden City, N. Y.
but has sold no planes to the Gov
ernment for several years, he said.