Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-07-05
j. 5. TO have Army
AVIATION CORPS
Will Take It's Place Among
the World Forces in
Air-PoWer.
RESULT OF HAY-BILL
While Z. $. Has AerOplanes as Fight
ing Apparatus in the Air, France
Has 92O Balloons and
DirigibIes.
fBy Jonathan Winfield.)

tBy Jonathan W1HIelu.)
Washington, July 4.-The United
States having given to the world inc
science Oh aviation in the inventions
of the Wrights, is now about to take
it's place among the world forces IN
air-power.
AS the result of the Hay bill which
has passed the house and has been
favorably reported to the senate by
the committee on military affairs, the
United States is to have an army AVA
ton corps which will be able to up
hold the honor of the Stars and
Stripes in any conflict instead of only
the germ of an air fleet.
At the present time the army avia-
ton corps, under the direction OF Col.
Samuel Reber, though compact ana
essentially efficient body and CAPABLE
of giving a maximum amount OF SER
vice with minimum of equipment,
is infinitesimal as compared with the
like organizations of other first-class
powers. In fact. it is only through
the Hay bill that the Aviation corps
has been given separate status from
the Signal corps with which it has
previously been affiliated.
France Fights With Balloons.
The United States has nothing in
the line of fighting apparatus for use
in the air with the exception of aero
planes-not a single dirigible balloon
or other lighter han-air vessel which
might be used for offensive work.
France alone maintains fleet OF 220
balloons and dirigibles, while Ger
many and Austria are not far behlnd.
The American fleet Of aeroplanes,
now divided into four sections, is
located at Galveston, Tex, San Dl-
ego, Cal, and in Hawaii and the
Philippines. These airships are used
only for scouting but they will form
the nucleus for great fleet OF "Wasps
Of war;
AS Col. Reber recently said:
1--WE must start by perfecting our
scouting system, as a child first
learns to crawl. After that he may
take up walking and before long he
wiki be prepared for running. Run
ming in this case means that we will
have a full fleet of offensive airships.'
Aeroplanes Used Against Mexico.
The aeroplanes' work during the
present trouble with Mexico has been
entirely in the hands of the navy
hydro aeroplane force and has been
very successful. The army force OF
aeroplanes, with the exception OF
those in Hawaii and the Philippines,
has been maintained exclusively on
the border.
hill tho aviation o.
ton of the army will consist OF not
overy sixty commissioned line officers
with rank below that of captain, as
well as 26O enlisted men. These will
be detailed for periods of not more
than four years. The officers, who
will first go through course as avi'
alton students, will be selected on the
recommendation of the chief sigma
officer from among the unmarried
iieutenants of the army who are not
over thirty years of age. There is
provision in the bill, however, that
no man shall be forced to serve in
this branch OF the service against MS
will.
1t is further provided, on account
of the extremely hazardous nature Of
the work, that each aviation student
shall receive increased pay, the same
percentage of increase applying tt
the enlisted men as to the officers.
After the passage of the Hay bill
only officers and men who have pass
ed an examination before board
composed of three officers expert
enced in aviation and two medica
officers may be admitted to the avla
ton corps This medical examination
will be particularly severe. The con,
dition of the heart when exposed tt
high altitude is examined and the
severest tests of vision and hearing
as we'll as sense of balance, are to bt
imposed. Even after they have sue
ceeded in passing all these tests the
actual work is likely to develop ner
vousness which renders disqualified
! ton necessary before the SUDDEN
boc nnSSn6