The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-02-16
USE AEROPLANES TO
WATCH THE BORDER

WASHINGTON, ID. C.,-Special-
Twelve aeroplanes will soon be pur-
chased by the United States Govern
ment for the use of the signal corps
OF the army. Several aerodromes. in
Guiding Washington, will be establish
ed in various parts of the country.
where experiments in military aero
nautics viii be carried on by officers
of the army.
At the end OF March the War De-
partment will insert in various news
papers an advertisement inviting
manufacturers OF aeroplanes to sub
NIT bids for twelve machines.
These statements were made upon
the authority of Brigadier General
James Allen, chief signal officer Of
the army, who yesterday appeared be-
fore the Senate Committee on Mill
| tary Affairs in regard to the subject.
An item OF $125.0OO is in the army
appropriation bill as IL came to the
Senate from the House, and assur-
/ ances have been given that IL will be
/ passed by the Senate and approved
by the President.
| Builders Of foreign aerOplanes will
/ not, IL is said. receive any favors at
| the hands OF the United States Gov
eminent. as the War Department in
/ tends TO purchase aeropIanes of Amer
/ lean manufacture. Whether these
military aeroplanes are to be Of the
! Wright or the Curtiss type will de-
pend absolutely upon the price the
Wrights and the Curtisses place upon
\ their machines, in case they desire to
] bid for the Government contract TO be
/ let within two months.
Offer Is Open TO All.
There has been much interest as to
| whether the United States Govern
| ment would lean toward the Wright
| or Curtiss type of machine in letting
| the coming contracts General Allen
| last evening dismissed these spccula-
| tons. He also said he thought there
| was little chance Of the United States
Government buying Bleriots or any
| other foreign mace aeroplanes. He
did not care. he said what foreign
machines had accomplished in mill
| tary aeronautics or what their possi-
| bilities were. He declared he intend
ed to see that American manufac-
| turerS of aeroplanes got the best
| chance at the $125,OO which will be
made available by this Congress for
! military aeronautical experiments in
the army.
1T is my intention" General Allen
said last night, Ito establish a num-
Der OF aerodromes. One. Of course, is
TO be near Washington, and this will
probably be at College Park, although
We have recently had up the subject
OF making an establishment of this
kind in Potomac Park. We already
have one, of "A sort. at San Antonio
Tex. and we shall establish one at
Fort LeaVenworth. Kan, and one in
Southern California, the idea being TO
have aerodromes in different parts OF
the country. where continued practice
can be had the year around, no mat
ter what the weather.
An aerodrome on n military reser-
vaton. such as at Fort Leavenworth
costs us very little, il being under
stood that by the term 'aerodrome' I
mean the hangar as well as the
grounds. Hangers will cost us about
$500 OF $1,000 each. We have mill
tary reservations at San Antonio and
Fort Ieavenworth already suitable
for aeroplane work. and / have no
doubt we can find proper aerodrome
grounds at some post in Southern
California. SO that we shall not be
Obliged 20 use all of our $1S5.0O0, l
think.
The last bid we had from the
Wrights was OF $4,000 for each aero
plane. We have never had bid from
CurtisS. and the story that Curtiss is
coming to Washington to organize air
scouts for the War Department is not
true. II anyone organizes air scouts
: for the War Department the signal
corps will do it. And at that l eX-
~ NaieNN tA'N HtbAlNA CORPS WILL
soon.
, Aside from the question of ex.
pense, II is believed in the War De-
/ partment that American manufactur.
) ers OF aeropianes can turn out just as
good a machine as we could possibly
? buy abroad. We expect to begin witt
the Sl25.OOO Congress has granted the
5 war Department on American ma.
chimes We shall certainly begin with
American machines. anyhow. We ex
90 I,ox ae y.
y ly from ten to fifteen aeroplanes a,
we desire to have schools in boil
practical and theoretical aviation. w,
2 shall most likely ask for bids fol
D twelve. That is the present intention
= More Officers Needed.
1T is also likely that we shall sool
ask. in the Signal Corps, for details o
? more officers for aeroplane work. w,
S now have two men detailed with Cur
{ tiss i'm CRlifornia--Second Lieuten
I ant John c. Walker. Jr.. of the Eight
= Infantry. on detached service from tn,
s Department OF California, and Firs
- Lieutenant Paul w. Beck, detache,
I from the Infantry Corps and detaiIe,
to the Signal Corps. We are getting
good reports from these officers as Z
/ what the CurtisS machines are doing
= and while the Curtiss people haV
0 never sought us and we have neve
y sought them. IL IS quite likely tina
!. their bids will be received for tn
= twelve machines we shall start witt
just as it Is likely that the Wright
= will also bid. We shall start with
n fair field and no favor Only. so ia
e as l can see. we are going 10 Civ
8 preference to Americans"
g General Allen closed his interview
4 with the remark that so many aero
q plane builders and manufacturers ar
Z springing up all over the country tina
4 he would not be surprised, IL, whei
n the army appropriation bill is passed
Il and the money is available the Wa
r Department would be swamped wit
bids from American builders -wh
g hope to have the honor and the prof
3 OF furnishing the Government wit
4 the aeroplanes ii is intended the Sig
n nal Corps shall have.
= virginia Boy Killed nv Train