Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-01-17
AMERICA IS FAR
Behind With
AVIATION

he nlteQ States. home o. the first
! heavier-thanai flying machines, is
| far behind other nations in military
aviation This is the assertion of
Capt Washington t. Chambers, United
States Navy, chief OF the navy's avia-
ton corps, an expert who is devoting
fhis entire time 10 the science. He
says:
+ "France leads me world in aviation,
fapd all that she dOesA worth noting.
| A short time ago. in response to an in
Quiry by the minister OF war. over g.
900 Officers sisniIed their desire TO
| learn aerial navigation. Germany
leads in aero3tation, but is making
great progress in aviation. also.
France has eight dirigibles: Ger
many thirty. The number Of aero
/ planes actually possessed by each is a
rapidly increasing quantity. but
France will probably possess about
$50 before the end of the year, the I'LL
innate aim being to possess 1000 as
soon as the requisite number of pilots
can be taught to use them.
1t is significant of German fore
sight that one of the first steps I'M
dertaken, when it was decided to con-
struct a large aeroplane fleet. was to
found an aerO-dynamic laboratory.
This is at GOttingen, where the best
known course of instruction in aero
nautics is ably conducted by Prof.
Prandel."
France leads with a total appropri-
alton of $6,400,000 to date and popu-
liar subscription of $1,000,000. Ger
many is second with total appropria-
ton of 81 100000 and a popular sub
scription of $750,O0O Next comes
Russia, Great Britain, Italy, Japan and
then the United States.
Brig. Gen. James Allen, chief signal
tofficer Of the army, will retire for
fage Feb. Is, and it is expected that
President Taft will nominate. his sue
cessor within the next few weeks.
There are a number of candidates for
the prospective vacancy, but it is gen.
orally conceded that the probable
choice lies between Col. George P.
Scriven, Lieut.. Col. William A. Glass
ford and Maj. Samuel Reber, all of
whom stand high in the corps for ser
vice and ability.
|. Col. Scriven is now on duty at the
war department and has acted as head
of the corps in the absence of Gen.
Allen. He is from Illinois and was
graduated from the military academy
in June, 1873. He served a year in
the infantry and eleven years in the
artillery. In December, 1890, he was
transferred to the Signal Corps and
has served therein to date, reaching
the grade of colonel in January. 1912.
During the Spanish war he served in
| the volunteer Signal Corps. \
Lieut.. Col. Glassford is from Indiana
and has had thirty-eight years contin-
/ uous service in the Signal Corps. He
began as a private in 1874 and five
years later was commissioned sec
ond lieutenant He rose steadily in
the intervening grades and became
lieutenant colonel in February, 1906.
During the Spanish war and the Phil
ippine instruction he served in the
volunteer Signal Corps. He is now
stationed at Manila. P. l., in charge of
important works. He reaches. the re-
firing age nearly a year before Col
Scriven.
Mai. Reber is from Missouri and is
a son-in-law of Lieut.. Gen. Miles. He
was graduated from the military &C
ademy in July, 1886, and had served
eight years in the cavalry arm, when
he was transferred to the Signal Corps
In January, 1894. Like Coils. Scriven
and Glassford, he was in the volun-
teer signal establishment during the
Spanish war and the Philippine in
surrection. He is now on duty at Gov
ernor's Island, N. Y.