The Washington herald., 1915-02-02
REQUEST AERO
ADVISORY BODY
Smithsonian Institution Of
6cials Urge Development of
Aircraft for Army.
UNITED STATES BEHIND
UNITED STATES Benin
Memorial Says Aeroplane Within Ten
Years Will Be as Common as
Auto Is Today.

In a memorial presented to Congress
Yesterday. bearing the signatures oi
Alexander Graham Bell and Charles d
Walcott, OF the Smithsonian Institution
a strong recommendation is made for the
creation by law of a national advisory
committee for aeronautics to develop all
craft for war and other purposes. The
memorial points out that the Smithson.
ian Institution became interested in aero
nautics in 1850, and that it is appropriate
1t should address Congress on the SUBJ
ject II sets forth that while the United
States led the world in the early de-
yelopment OF heavier-than-air machines
II now is the only first-class power that
does not have an advisory committee for
aeronautics and suitable research labora-
tories for advancement of the art.
The memorial was prepared by a COM
m!ttee named by the regents of the in
stItution, with the approval Of President
Wilson. The project proposed. therefore,
has the Endorsement OF the administra-
ton.
cal committee proposed shall be named
by the President, and that It shall be
clothed with authority to advise in re-
lation to the work of the government
in aeronautics and the coordination of
the activities Of governmental and pre-
vate laboratories in which questions con-
cerned with the study of the problems OF
aeronautics can be eXperimentally inves-
tigRted.
The committee Is TO be made UP Of two
representatives of the War Department,
two representatives of the Navy Depart
ment and a representative OF the Smith
sonian Institution, the Bureau OF Stand
ards, and the Weather Bureau, together
with seven men skilled in aeronautical
engineering or its allied sciences.
United States OutcIassed.
The memorial stated that at the out
break Of the war France had about
1,4oO aeroplanes, Germany, 1000; Rus
sia, 500; Great Britain, 400; the Unit
ed States, eighty-three. Reference is
made to experiments conducted with
aircraft by Prof. Langley, late Secre-
tSFy OF the Smithsonian Institution, and
credit is given to Langley, the Wright
brothers, and Curtiss for the inven-
ton and early development of heavier
than-air machines. Attention is called
to progress made by France, Germany.
Engalnd and Russia in the development
of use of air craft.
IF as rapid progress is made in the
coming decade as has been made in the
past ten years" says the memorial, the
flying machine will become as permanent
a part of the means OF rapid and safe
transportation, with certain limitations.
as the automobile today is in land trans
portation."
A national advisory committee for aero
nautics cannot fail TO be of inestimable
service in the development of the art OF
aviation in America. Through its various
bureaus, the memorial argues, the United
States is exceptionally well equipped to
fNrI1N in q
scientific way to deal with the problem
under consideration.
Following the presentation Of the me-
mortal, bill was offered by Represent
ative Roberts. of Massachusetts,, member
OF the House Committee on Naval Affairs,
providing for the creation of the ad-
visory committee as proposed.