Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-02-22
Arkansas Senator Success
full in Fight ON Pres
ent Officers.
DECLARES DEATHS
DUE TO NEGLIGENCE
Several Lost Lives When
Forced to Fly in Broken
Down Machine.

XIAsHINGToN Feb. 2l,--The
w senate military committee voted
today to recommend an investigation
of the army aviation service by con-
gross. The decision was reached after
Senator Robinson, who had intro
duced IA resolution for such an inves-
tigation. submitted further evidence
to support his charges of general in
efficiency.
Senator Robinson produced before
the committee last week Photographic
copies Of letters alleged to have
passed between Lieut.. Col Samuel
Reber, head OF the aviation service,
and Capt Arthur S. Cowan. in charge
Of the San Diego station, which the
senator said revealed that the serv-
his supplementary statement today
he declared that Of about "a officers
who had qualified as flicrs, Is had
been killed, several losing their lives
because they were required to at
temp, flights In antiquated biplanes
known to be Detective
An inquiry into the aviation ]rv-
ice, which will proceed independent
of congressional action, already has
been ordered by the war department.
Only Twcnty-fOur Flicrs.
'The inefficiency and unsatisfac-
tory results of the present manage
ment of the aviation section" said
Senator Robinson In his statement to
the committee today, sis disclosed by
the fact that during eight years, or
has had control Of aviation. only about
"a qualified fliers with the military
rating have been produced. While
the statement was made before the
house committee on military affairs
that there are now 46 officers who
are qualified as fliers and who are
attached to the aviation section, | be-
lieve that an investigation will dis
close that there are only about "a
VERY few of the so-called quail
fled fliers' have ever done military
work or even seen from an aero
plane field gun fired. Only one or
two have maneuvered in aeroplanes
with bombs attached to 1t for use.
The service has no bombs. no bomb
sighting device, no method of mount
ing Il gun on an aeroplane, nor has
gun ever been fired from an aero
plane. We have no armored aero
planes and the machines on hand
are not efficient enough for flying
duty.
Sixty-fivc Per cent Killed.
During the eight years above re-
forred to, which have netted only
about "a qualified fliers, there have
occurred II deaths in connection with
military aviation, 5 officers having
been killed. The other two cases
embrace the death of one soldier and
,xsf t.I,
per cent as many officers have been
killed as there are now officer pilots
on aviation duty.
"Of the above mentioned 10 Off
GERS who have been killed, eight of
them have died in flights at the
North Island station near San Diego.
"Six of these aviators We're killed
within ten months, and it is believed
that an investigation will disclose that
their deaths were due to the fact that
they were required to attempt flights
in antiquated biplanes known to be
defective and dangerous. Following
the death of Lieut.. II. Il. Post in 1914
four of these machines were burned.
1t is believed an Investigation will
disclose that other injuries were due
to the use of unsafe machines and
that in some cases, where warnings
had been given that the machines
were unsafe. officers who were re-
quired to fly in them We're in some
instances, injured. and others killed.
Bcachcy Protested.
"It is a well-known fact that a
short time before Lincoln Beachey
was killed he visited this station and
pronounced it outrageously defective
in equipment and management, and
that he communicated his opinion in
n bitter protest which came to the
knowledge Of the war department.
THE First company, Second aero
squadron. now in the Philippines,
prior to February 1. 1916, had no
aeroplanos. | am informed chat four
have been ordered and that two have
been or will soon be shipped. The
First company, Second Aero squad
ron in the Philippines consists of six
There are no other
field organizations There are two
qualified officer-pilots instructing
students at the aviation school and
two are studying aeronautics Ia Bos-
ton.
THE dangers connected with avia-
ton ut this stage of its development
when surrounded by every safeguard
which mechanical skill and scientific
and due precaution can
secure, are so great that only the
and daring are prompted
TO undertake to master 1t. will not
use words to characterize a system as
that prevailing in our service. where
Incompetence and Indifference have
added to the dangers inherent in aNia.
tion through an unskillful. unscien-
tific. negligent and corrupt control"