Newspaper Page Text
THE GARDEN ISlAKd TUESDAY, ttOV. 28, lf22
Who Got the Money!
The Airplane Production Mess
(From American
(Continued from last week) 1
We did not produce 11754 planefe, that
were fit to fly ; we produced nothing like
that number and no fighting planes
reached the front. The secretary's
figures are found to Include:
1,660 J-l planes delivered at a
cost of $17,514,868 only to be con
demned as dangerous because of
the Instability of the motor.
27 Bristol fighters delivered on
an order for 2,000 on which work
was well advanced when the plane
was condemned and work stopped;
cost, estimated by Mr., llughcs, $24,
000,000. 4.000 "flaming coffins" or De Ha
viland 4's costing $50,000,000. Pro
duction of this plane was continu
ed In the face of repeated warnings
that It was a death trap, and in
the face of a cablegram from Gen
eral Pershing enumerating fifty spe
cific defects.
Approximately 5,500 training plan
es of no service value, with which
are grouped hundreds of experi
mental machines and 300 penguins
which cannot fly.
Mr. Ryan has since admitted there
was not a fighting machine in the
lot. When the armistice came we
had 2,000,000 men under arms In
France and 798 flying planes there,
196 of which were on the front. Our
air effort which was to "win the
war" by placing 20,000 planes on
the front and in reserve by Janu
ary 1918, had tapered down to this
a mere showing of 721 planes on the
front of which more than 500,. had
been furnished by our allies. Our
16 planes on the front were all
"flaming coffins" or DH-4's and
were observation, not fighting Bhips.
The truth of the aircraft failure
which entailed the waste of millions
in money and many gallant lives
was concealed during the war by
a campaign of deception carried out
by the government propaganda airen
xy, the committee on pubiic Infor
mation. After a series of mislead
ing statements on the progress of
of production there appeared In
the newspapers of February 21, 1918,
the following:
The first American-built battle-
Dlaues are today en route to the
front in France. This first shipment
though in itself not large marks
the final overcoming of many diffi
culties In building up this new and
intricate industry.
The foregoing was declared to
have been inspired by Colonel Deeds
The truth is the first plane shipped
to tHa A. E. F. left the United Stat
es on March 22, 1918, one month and
two" days after Colonel Deeds de
clared on sworn testimony to have
told two committee on public in
formation representatives that the
nlanon were already on the water
It is not difficult to understand
the failure of an excellent techni
clan like General Squier who, thru
no fault of his own, was so shock
lngly misplaced In a position which
required executive genius of the
highest order. But what of the in
dustrial chieftains who were brought
in for the express purpose of sup
plying this deficiency? Why did
they fail to produce? -Was it be
cause some of them served their
country with a divided allegiance?
Was It because pome of them while
Officers of the army and servants
of the government in Its hours of
greatest need found time to advise,
counsel and traffic in official sec
rets with firms in which they had
financial interest which were tak
ing exorbitant profits from the gov
ernment? Was it because such off!
cers and servants momentarily may
have been more interested in piling
up profits in which they would
share for those favored firms than
to carry out their announced deter
mination to "win the war in the
air."
The eovernment had been "boldly
and openly robbed" on air contracts,
declares H. L. Schaife, a special agent
of the Department of Justice, In an
official report of March 18, 1922,
to his chief, assistant attorney gen
eral, Guy D. Goff, head of the War
Frauds Section of the Department
of Justice. "Reports show failure
of aircraft production, wholesale
gfaft and malversion, reprehensible
official conduct and squandering of
enormous sums," continues Investi
gator Scaife, summarizing the find
ings of an investigation which last
ed six months. Mr. Scaife says the
government's manner of doing busi
ness left the "doors wide open to
every variety of graft and fraud."
Of certain manufacturers who took
millions In profits whether they de
livered the planes or not Mr. Scaife
observes that "had the war been
planned and carried on for their
speevtal benefit their personal gain
Legion Weekly)
could scarcely have been greater."
He reports that "wide spread prop
aganda In defense of the air service
has definitely been traced" to In
terested persons. The public having
been emptied, Mr, Scaife calls his
superior's attention to "political in
fluence and bold propaganda of the
most insidious character to prevent
aa investigation which would lay
bare their misdeeds and dishonesty.
Congressman Woodruff of Michi
gan on April 11th declared on the
floor of the House that "hundreds
of men are guilty of criminal con
spiracy" in the handling of our air
program and charged that "no de
termined effort looking either to
the recovery of money due the
government or the criminal prosecu
tion of offenders" had been made.
As early as August, 1918, the ac
tivities of a group of aircraft manu
facturers was condemned by a Sen
ate subcom niittee hea4e4 by Potta.
tor Thomas as "vicious and design
ed to make large profits by taking
advantage of the government."
In hi report to the President,
Mr. Hughes recommended that "the
officers found to have had transac
tions on behalf of the government
with corporations in the pecuniary
profits of which they should be
prosecuted under Section 41 of the
Criminal Code," The Hughes report
devotes 31 printed pages to Colonel
Deeds. Many letters and telegrams
passing between Colonel Deeds, H.
E. Talbott and E. C. Kettering of
the Dayton-Wright Airplane Co. are
produced to demonstrate what Mr.
Hughes terms "highly suggestive
transactions fith his former busi
ness associates at Dayton." Mr.
Hughes also reveals Colonel Deeds'
connections with the United Motors
Corporation, the Dayton Metal Pro
ducts Co., the Dayton Engineering
Laboratories Co. and the Domestic
Building Co, and with the Wilbur
Wright and McCook aviation fields
on which the government spent $3,
949,000. The report says:
His (Deeds') statement to the
Aircraft Production Board on
August 28, 1917, that be had
made a bona fide transfer of
all his stock in the United Mo
tors Corporation when the stock
had not been transferred, and
at most he contemplated a gift
of the stock to his wife, was
neither candid nor truthful.
In conclusion Mr. Huges recom
mended the courtmartial of Colonel
deeds:
For his conduct (1) in acting
as confidential advisor to his
former associate, H. E. Talbott,
of the Dayton-Wright Airplane
Co, and in conveying informa
tion to Mr. Talbott in an im
proper manner with respect to
the transaction of business as
between the company and the
division of the Signal Corps of
which Colonel Deeds was the
head and (2) in giving repre
sentatives of the committee on
public information a false and
misleading statement with re
Bpect to the progress of aircraft
production.
Colonel Deeds was not courtmar
tlaled, though on November 11, 1918,
the Judge advocate general, act
ing on Hughes' report, so recom
mended. Secretary Baker sent the
case back to the judge advocate for
re-examination and on December 26
the secretar yrecelved a report from
the judge advocate reversing the
earlier recommendation and stating
that there should be no trial. A few
days previously Colonel Deeds had
been banquetted and given a rising
vote of confidence by somo of his
associates in the War Department.
It is interesting to note the means
by which the Packard Motor Car
Co. was able to increase its "agreed
fixed profit" on the manufacture of
3,660 Liberty motors from $2,287,
500 to $3,934,500. The company re
ceived a contract to make 6,000 en
gines at a profit of 15 per cent of
cost which was arbitrarily fixed at
$6,097 per motor, though a motor
expert informed Colonel Deeds at
the time the engines could be built
for $2,400 apiece, exclusive of over-bead.
The arbitrarily fixed price per m-
tor is what aircraft officials term
the "bogey price." It was a term
commonly used in negotiations and
often embodied in actual contracts.
This is a puzzling circumstance.
It would suggest on first glance
that a golf enthusiast was the au
thor. If such were the case, there
are a lot of golfers who would like
a few open shots on the course
where the bogey Is as easy to ob
tain as it proved to be in the Pack
ard and many other contracts.
(To be continued next week)
THE LIHUE STG
Now on Display are More Extensm
Than E
1M
Remembrances for Young
Toys, Dolls and Holiday Specialties
Undressed Dolls, Jointed Dells, Character Dolls, Bisque Dolls, Dressed
Dolls, Juvenile Hooks, Painting and Drawing Books, History Books, Travel
Books, Fiction Books, Games, Dominoes and Blocks, Checkers, Metal Con
struction and Wood Toys, Tinker Toys, Iron and Steel Toys, Kitchen Cab
inets and Toy Dishes, Tea Sets, Cooking Sets, Metal Toys, Celluloid Toys,
Wooden Toys, Animals and Stuffed Toys, Friction Toys, Mechanical Toys,
l'ull Toys, Musical Toys, Savings Bunks, Marbles, Tops, Horns, Harmonicas,
Drums, Pop Guns, Air Rifles, Drawing Slates, Paints, Balls, Tree Decora
tions, Tree Ornaments, Trees, Celluloid Rattles and ToyS, Rubber Toys,
Children's Chairs and Rockers, Automobiles, Velocipedes, Hand Cars, Kid
die Cars, Barrows, Carts, Wagons, Rocking Toys, Papeteries, Albums, Pencil
Sets, Decorated Christmas Paper, Tags, Cards, Seals, Labels, Christmas and
New Year's Greeting Cards and Folders, Christmas Tree Candles, Paper
Garlands, Tinsel, Bells, Artificial Snow, Toy Pistols, Shoo Flys, Soap Blow
ers, Teddy Bears, Santa Claus Masks, Telephones, Pistol Holsters and
Belts, Choo-Choo Cars, Jump Ropes, Toy Brooms, Baby Swings, Go-Carts,
Bicycles, Garden Tools, Sand Pails and Shovels, Tool Chests, Iron and
Steel Trains, Roller Skates, Etc., Etc.
Specialties in Grocery Department
Burhams Clam Bouillon, Libby's Boullion Cubes, Whole Clams, Minced
Clams, Clam Chowder, Cream Cheese, Edam Cheese, Chili Cheese, Swiss
Cheewe, Limburger Cheese, Maclaren Cheese, Jack Cheese, Grated Cheese,
Kelly's Mango Chutney, Daw-Sen Chutney, American Biscuit Co.'s Crack
ers and Cakes, Arnott's Cakes and Cookies, Marshmallow Cream, Anchovies,
Anchovy Paste, Caviar, Fish Flakes, Luucheon Haddies, Kippered Herring,
Carlo Herring, Beardsley's Boneless Herring, Rick's Mackarel, Red Alaska
Salmon, Findon Haddock, Kippered Snacks, Imported Sardines, Smoked
and in Oil, Sardines in Tomato Sauce, Sardine Paste, Rubidoux Tuna, Fan
cy Blue Flag Crabs, Red Jacket and Sea Crest Lobsters, Blue Point, Mary
land and Parrot Oysters, Dunbar and Boiled Shrimps, Canned Apricots,
Blackberries, Cherries, Fruit Salad, Grapes, Loganberries, Peaches, Pears,
Pineapples, Raspberries, Strawberries, Dried Apples, Apricots, Currants,
Dates, Figs, Peaches, Prunes, Raisins, Rbsario Marmalade, IXL Jams,
' Kellys Papaia and Pineapple Marmalade, Libby's Peach, Apricot, Straw
berry and Blackberry Jam; Pauls Apricot, Peach, Loganberry, Strawberry
and Raspberry Jam ; "Phez" Blackberry, Peach and Plum Jam ; Assorted
Jellies; Marasca Cherries; Underwood's Deviled Chicken and Ham; IXL
Liver Paste; Enchilades and Tamales; Pate de Fois Gras; R&R Boned
Chicken; Heinz Mince Meat and Plum Pudding; Libby's Mince Meat; R&U
Plum Pudding; Olives; Chow-Chow; Relishes; Condiments; National Bis
cuit Co. Crackers and Cakes; Pickles.
In the Tobacco Section
CIGARS: Amerieus, Alhambra, Burns, Caswell Club, Champagne, Chan
cellor, El Camino Real, El Dallo, El Palencia, El Tovar, Jean Valjean,
La Corregidora, La Insular, Optimo, Owl, Vamp,' Van Camp, "J.D.", Van
Dyke, Vega del Rey.
CIGARETTES: Camel, Caporal, Capstain, Chesterfield, Fatima, Herbert
Tareyton, Home Run, La Marquise, Lucky Strike, Melaehrino, Milo Violets,
Murad, Old Mill, Omar, One Eleven, Pall Mall, Phillip Morris, Richmond
Straight Cut, Three Castle.
0
SMOKING TOBACCO: Blue Boar, Cross Cut, Craven Mixture, Curve
Cut, Dukes Mixture, Durham, Edgeworth, Five Brothers, Good Smoke, Her
bert Tareyton, Imperial Cube Cut, E. C. C. Mixture, John Cotton, Prince
Albert, Red Indian, Tuxedo, Union Leader, U. 8. Marine, Velvet.
Pipes, Pouches, Cigar and Cigarette Holders, Cigarette Cases.
Lihue Store
AND GOOD TH
Imperial Candy Co. Goods
CHOCOLATES
In Decorated and Fancy Boxes
Sweet Meat, Milk, Opera, Smart Set,
La Supreme, Brazil Nut, Glace Nut,
Black and White, Societie Girl, Fruif
and Nut, Scenic, Mountain, Imperial
Red, Imperial Girl, Caramel Nougat,
Swiss Milk, La Rose, Chewing, Milk
and Vanilla, Chocolate Cherries, Al
gonquin, True Fruit.
Almonds,
berjj,
NU
Wain ii
Haze
Assorted
Glassies, Sanded Lemon Drops, Assoi
get Mixed, Spiced Jelly Hearts, Burh
ton Baked Beans, Spiced Jelly Dropk
ed, Cinnamon Balls, Peanut Squares
Almond Top Chocolates, Tingaling (
colates, Walnut Nougatine, Djisly Rb
folates, noney Nougat ChocRates, L;
Special
at TWENTY C
JUMBO JELLY BR
A. B. GUM DKOPif
20c
Drinkable Things,
Appleju, Budweiser
Beverage, Diamond
Apple Juice, Creme
tails, CUquot Club
Ginger Ale, White
"Phez" Loganberry
Cocoa, Chocolate,
Beverage, Wielni
"A" Cider, Mar
de Menthe, Mart
Ginger Ale, Roo
Rock Ginger A
Juice, Pinectar,
Coffee, Tea.
IN THE SHOE
New Lines of Menis,
Shoes jui
MARKET is in i
By every arrival of the
Kauai's