New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-05
AERO CLUB LISTS
US. AERIAL NEEDS
Daniels Told S25,OOO,OOO
Would Provide Only
Reasonable Defence.
SEAPLANES URGED
TO PROTECT COAST
Squadron of These Craft Called
Best Means of Blocking De-
scent of Hostile Fleet.

A detailed schedule Of the aeronau-
tic needs Of the United States for ade-
ouate preparedness has been sent to
Secretary Daniels by the Aero Club OF
America. II the United States is to be
the fifth in asronautical equipment
s25, 900, 900 will have to be appropriated
instead of the 100000 called for in
the proposed naval bill, according to the
Aero Club letter.
This would place the United States
behind England, Germany, France and
Russia. Cutting the allowance to slI'-
600 900 would rate this country seventh
behind Austria and Italy. A further
decrease to 100000 would give prec'
edence to Japan, Spain and the Nether-
lands. By allowing less than slO,ooo'-
600 the United States will be left where
il is. behind the least Of the other
countries colonies.
Less than twenty aeroplanes, includ-
ing those actually in commission and
those ordered, compose our existing
equipment, the memorandum says
"The addition proposed would com
nrise only seventy-hve aeropiahes'
which we should have had two years
AGO. and which Is only one-tenth Oh
what We need now to meet the aero
nautical needs of the navy. Further-
more. no provision has been made LOT
a large feet of dirigibles OF huge sile'
which the war in Europe teaches US we
must have. e;.h
"1he experience Of the Spanish
American War and of the two war
games played recently has shown Una.
Il ia possible for hostile naval torce
IN reach our shores without detectioh'
We have but three scouts-and no mer-
chant marine from which fast scouting
vessels could be drawn in time OF
threatened danger. From Maine 70
panama. on the Atlantic; from Alaska
through Hawaii TO Panama, on the rs-
cifc. our long frontier stretches. we
could not 20 to meet the enemy-ho'
knowing where TO come up with MN.
"The quickest, cheapest and best way
10 counteract our deficiencies IN scouts
il 10 provide a large number Oh sea-
rlanes. TO be kept on board seaplane
ships, which will go with the battle
ships.
seaplcnes Essential.
ain plan submitted to the board OF
governors of the Aero Club OF Amer
lea the immediate aeronautical need'
of the navy outlined are:
"1) At least three more aviation sta
tons at important naval centres IN the
United States and one at each naval
base in the Philippines, Guam, hawaii
Guantanamo, the Panama Canal Zone
and Porto Rico, with between twenty
TO forty seaplanes and aeroplanes at
each base.
memberships for seaplanes. with al
least one dozen aviators. The, North
Carolina. assigned to aviation duty, is
not yet equipped for service as sea-
plane ship.
"(3) The navy should acquire large
seaplanes for submarine warfare and
torpedo launching.
"The feasibility OF launching torpe-
does from seaplanes has been demon
strated by the experiments of Captain
Alessandro Guidoni, Royal Italian
Navy. at the al email at Spezia, italy,
and advocated IN Ine CHlteu Save
Rear Admiral Bradley A. Fiske, u. D.
Y. But the possibility Of getting bet
ter results with seaplane costing
only about $4,000 and requiring but
two men to operate it than are OBJ
tainable from a destroyer costing ST.
$50. goo, requiring hundreds of men to
man it, has seemed too preposterous3
to be taken seriously, and neither OF
the above mentioned officers received
serious consideration until few
months ago. Captain Guidoni has sue
ceeded in launching torpedoes weigh
ing 700 pounds and hitting the target
nine times out of ten from a distance
of one and a half miles"
In addition to the foregoing RECON-
mendations. the board of governors OF
the Aero Club indorses a naval policy
which will restore the United States to
second place as q naval power.