Show lAIR AIR PROGRAM DELAY I CAUSES OFFICIAL iNQUIRIES 3 Separate Investigations to I Discover Why Schedule Has Not Been Followed I By International News Service y WASHINGTON March 1 17 Three i. Three separate Investigations arc now under underway wa way it was learned larned today to discover el It if possible why tho thc aircraft program is ninety days laYs behind its schedule One Is being Conducted b by Howard i Coffin E.-Coffin Coffin h head ad of ot the aircraft board j following various disquieting reports that have come to him another b by H. H Snowden Marshall l chairman of or a al aI committee appointed b by Pre President Wilson and working In conjunction I with tho the council while a a. third is being made mad b by Gutzon Borglum Borglum Borglum Borg Borg- lum the thc New York sculptor whose entrance entrance- into the tho aircraft scrutiny Is Ismore Ismore ismore more or less Jess mysterious The triple Inquiry follows closely on on the heels of the first meeting of oC congressional congressional con con- gressional members with the tho super super- war council which in turn came al almost armost at- at most Immediately after Pre President Wilson Wilson Wil Wil- son Ion had received a secret report from Crom Mr Mi the delayed I program Just what authority Mr Ir Borglum had to make an investigation atlon is not known but it is generally talked around the city that his report to the president deals very ery largely with the matter of dela delay This was one of the outstanding features of the conference on Friday of the senate military Af Affairs f fairs committee and the t-I t council Senator Hitchcock chairman of the committee said Raid afterwards th that t I tho the members of tho the council explained very frankly and bluntly that the program program program pro pro- gram ram was wa's far Ollar behind but expressed hopes that it was not too late to give it sufficient momentum to catch up before beCore tho the end of the production year car Criticism of at delays in starting starling the aviation program ram has been very frank and general One army department department department depart depart- ment commander himself more than a year ear ago expressed regret that with all aU the great nations of ot the world at war and find ll aviation still sUU in Its Infancy this count country did not have a a. large commission commission com corn mission of ot aviation experts on the battlefield studying the problems that wore changing every day One official of ot the council of ot de defense defense de- de tense today said Id that the problem was ninety da days day behind but the difficulty has been manufacturers manufacturers' overestimating In ing their ability to get material to tom tomake m make J c the necessary conversions In their plants for tor the standardized product and to get et spruce wood s so so largely demanded deml for tor aircraft tion But light In this seemingly hopeless situation has been seen In inthe tho the location of large e quantities of ot spruce in the Northwest There is a probability that an anan arrangement ement may maybe maybe mayhe be he made with Canada for tor the bringing bringing- into this country countr of or spruce Mr Ir Marshalls Marshall's dut duty will be to go o Into the whole question of ot delayed p production rod u ct Ion Mr Coffin Is taking up a a. a more specific specific subject Reports have come to him of ot troubles In the making making- of ot the Libert Liberty motors but it is confidently believed that these arc are unfounded While It H Is la admitted that there was some difficulty at first over the matter matter matter mat mat- ter of lubrication this was eliminated long ago He is Ig now on a 0 personal tour tou of oC inspection having left here Friday |