The Washington herald., 1911-02-03
TWELVE AIRSHIPS
FOR USE OF ARMY
AerOdrOme to Be Established
at College Park.
EXPERIMENTS WILL BE MADE
Advertisements Will Call for Bids
for American Machines-Stations in
various Parts of the Country Are
Part of General Scheme to Put the
Airship to Military Use.

Iweive aeroplanes will soon be pur-
chased by the United States government
Tor the use Of the Signal Corps Of the
army. Several aerodromes, including
one at College Park. Md, just outside Of
Washington, will be established in vari-
Gus parts of the country where expert-
ments in military aeronautics will bo
| carried on by officers Of the army.
At the end Of March the War Depart
ment will insert in various newspaper an
advertisement inviting manufacturers Of
aeroplanes to submit bids for twelve ma
Chimes
These statements were made upon the
| authority of Brig. Gen. James Allen Chief
signal Officer of the army, who Yesterday
appeared before the Senate Committee on
Military Affairs in regard to the subject
An Item of $4,000 is in the army ap-
preparation bill as 1t came to the Senate
from the House, and assurances have
oeen given that it will be passed by the
senate and approved by the President.
Buiiders of foreign aeroplanes will not,
II is said, receive any favors at the hands
OF the United States government. as the
war Department intends to purchase
aeroplanes OF American manufacture
whether these military aeroplanes are to
De or the Wright or the Curtiss type will
depend absolutely upon the price lne
Wrights and the Curtisses place upon
their machines. in case they desire to
bid for the government contract to he let
within two months.
Offer Is Open to All.
There has been much interest as to
whether the United States government
would lean toward the Wright or Chr
tlss type Of machine in letting the COM
ing contracts. Gen. Allen last evening
dismissed these specuIations. He also
said he thought there was little chance
OF the United States government buying
Bleriots or any other foreign-made aero
planes. He did not care, he said what
iereign machines had accomplished in
military aeronautics or what their possi-
pliities were. He declared he intended
to see that American manufacturers of
aeroplanes GO; the best chance at the
slS."D which will be made available by
thls Congress for military aeronautical
experiments in the army
IL Is my intention" Gen Allen said
last night, Ito establish a number of
aerodromes. One of course. is To he
near Washington, and this will prob
ably be at College Park although we
| making an establishment of this kind in
fotomac Park. We already have one of
sort. at San Antonio. Tex. and we
snail establish one at Fort Ieayenworth
Mans. and one in Southern California,
the idea being to have aerodromes in
Inherent parts Of the country, where con-
tihueo practice can be had the year
around. no matter what the wea ather.
An aerodrome on a military reserya-
a
US very little. it being understood that
oy the term 'aerodrome' I mean the
hangar as well as the grounds Han
gars Will cost us about $50 or $1,000 each.
We have military reservations at San
Antonio and Fort Leavenworth already
suitable for aeroplane work. and 1 have
no doubt we can find proper aerodrome
grounds at some post in Southern Call
fcrnia. so that We shall not be Obliged
to use all of our $4,000, 1 think.
The last bid we had from the wrights
was CT $500 for each aeroplane. We
have never had a bid from Curtiss, and
the story that Curtiss is coming to
Washington to organize air scouts for
the War Department is not true. If any
one organizes air scouts for the War
Department. the Signal Corps will do it.
And at that. I expect that the Signal
Corps will. pretty soon
Aside from the question of expense.
1t is believed in the War Department
that American manufacturers Of aero
pianes can turn out just as good a ma
chine as We could possibly buy abroad
we expect to begin with the s125,oOO
congress has granted the War Depart-
ment on American machines. We shall
certainly begin with American machines,
anyhow. We expect to have at the start
approximately from ten to fifteen aero
planes. as We desire to have schools in
poth practical and theoretical aviation.
we snail most likely ask for bids for
twelve. That is the present intention.
More Officers Needed.
1t Is also likely that We shall soon
ask, In the Signal Corps. for details of
more officers for aeroplane work. We
now have two men detailed with Curtiss
IN Cahfornia-Second Lieut.. John c.
walker. jr.. of the Eighth Infantry. on
detached service from the Department Of
California. and First Lieut.. Paul W. Beck,
detached from the Infantry Corps and de-
tailed to the Signal Corps. We are get
ting good reports from these officers as
TO what the Curtiss machines are doing,
and while the Curtiss people have never
sought us and We have never sought
them. 1t is quite likely that their bids
will be received for the twelve machines
that the Wrights will also bid. We shall
start with a fair field and no favor Only,
so far as can see, We are going to give
preference to Americans"
Gen. Allen closed his interview with
the remark that so many aeroplane build
ers and manufacturers are springing up
all over the country that he would not
be surprised, If. when the army appro-
priation bill Is passed, and the money Is
available. the War Department would be
swamped with bids from American build
ers who hope to have the honor and the
profit Of furnishing the government with
the aeroplanes 1t is intended the Signal
Corps shall have.