The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-11-23
MILITIA NAY HAVE
AVIATION SQUAD
Adjutsnt Genera Sale Anx-
ious to Buy Monoplane tor
Virginia National Guard
WILL DISCUSS PLAN
With ALL COMMANDERS
state Military Head and En-
tire Corps of Officers to
see Flights and Hear
Details OF Project.

Establishment of nm aviation squad
In the Virginia militia will be discussed
by Ad1utant-qeneralS Sale and the COM
manders III all the organisations In the
state National Guard at the aviation
meet at the Fair grounds Friday and
Saturday.
As result monoplane flights may
be feature of thr next eneAmpment
of the militia. which. In the light OF
the Tate unpleasantness" at Gettys-
burg last summer. win be held within
the bounds OF Virginia, probably ut
Virginia Beach.
Plans for organising the winged
force" originated with Adjutant- Gen :
eral SAILS. and he il most enthusiastic.
He believed II would be an excellent
thing for the State AZ well az the mill
tiamen, and would serve most admir-
ably To put the Old Dominion citizen
soidiery in the very front rank of
down-to- the minute United States
Army reserve forces
Moncplane Offered.
AdjntaHt General Sale nimbe rs
among his friends several prominent
business men who are interested In the
science OF aerial navigation. Among
them Is Mr.. John McCiarvey, who il
identified with the firIa nnnufa curing
the Blediot monoplanes--the kind in
which the English Channel was first
crossed and number Of the most re-
markab'e flights In the worid--ynot a bic
among them being the circiing OF IN.
Statue OF Liberty-have been made,
Mr.. McGaryey and several other
aviation men called on AdJutant- Cen
eral Sale In his Office in the State Ii
hrary building Tuesday and laid be-
fore him an interesting and Inviting
proposition to furnish machine to the
virginia militia and to instruct d sauad
or men in the handling and operation
81 the nyer at most reasonable price.
Ad5utant General Sale was most
faverably impressed with the idea, and
although he could give the visitors no
direct answer as To whether or not the
aviation squad would be formed and
the Blerio flyer purchased. he said he
would exert his best effort toward car
r%ing the plan To fruitful conclusion
Adtutant-General Sale and all the
militia commanders will attend the
aviation meet as guests Of the flying
machine manufacturers, who viii be
carefni to see that man learned In
aviation and the manufacture of me
ehantcal birds capable of carrying
soldiers VIII he near the visitors TO
Keep the well informed on what IL
being done by the aviators and to
answer ali questions as to the why,
Wherefore. what and whichness Of
flyers and lying.
After their visits to the Fair
Grounds and watching the flyers In
the kind of machine which has been
offered at an aiiuring price. 4,-Jutant-
General Sale and the commanders
may decide to establish the squad.
Can Hatse the Money.
At first blush 1t would appear as
though the militia had no money
with which to purchase the flyer,
but on second thought il would be
seen that all the money appropri-
ated--$bo, 600 or S5V,000-~for the es-
Enlistment OF q rifle range for the
militia will not be used for that pur-
pose, because the citizens OF Norfolk
who donated the site have agreed to
make ALI necessary improvements
After the targets and buildings have
been built there win still remain
several thousand dollars, and with
this Blerfot monopiane might be
purchased. There In still another way
to raise the money. That liz to ask
Congress Tor an additional appropri-
alton besides the regular fund given
for the maintenance Of the militia
Congress will do little else than vote
money. at the coming session. and as
the greatest aviation meets In the
worlds history have been held In the
United States, and a majority OF Con-
gressmen who have seen birdmen fly
ing have expressed their heller in the
fact that aeropianes and monoplanes
viii play most important part In the
I war between nations, II is be-
II. we'd the money win be forthcom-
ing.
Speaking of the plan to esta hlish
the aviation squad. Acknowledgement
Sale said Tuesday: "It Ii a capital
idea. and / sincerely hope ii Will be
adopted and carried through. There
can be practically no reason ad-
vanced against the esta blish ment OF
the squad and purchase Of a mono
plane, and am sure we have in our
national guard the right kind OF men
to handle the machine. New York's
militia has an aviation squad and a
flying machine. and there In no reason
why Virginia should not stand abreast
of the Empire State. The project
has most hearty endorsement and |
propose doing all can to develop IL