Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-04-10
AEROPLANES ARE
j n NDERPOWERED D
SAYS SEC. BAKER
Believes Reorganization Of the
Aviation Service Is Possible
Says Machines Have Proved
Their Worth in Mexico

Washington, April 9.-Developmei't
Of the scout aeroplane and equipment
cf armored war machines with larger
passenger carrying capacity are the
main thought of the Army Aviation
department, Sec. Baker Saturday told
the House Military committee. He de-
Tended army airsnips and their avia-
tors and said reorganization in per-
sonnel might be made by addition If
rot by subtraction" but declared that
the service has proved it's worth in
Mexico and has done "as well as pos
sible."
Mr. Baker asked for $1,7S5,00O for
the signal service. mainly for regular
army and National Guard aviation
purposes. There is about 100000
tons and the secretary expects to buy
- new machines.
He said the 50 aeroDlanes now owned
by the army are uEderpowered. He
added that while machines have been
almost the sole means of communica-
ton with the force in Mexico, their
lack of power gives trouble in getting
over the high mountains in the coun-
try, where they are being used.
Guard Secrets from America
European belligerents, he said, are
carefully guarding airAhip secrets from
American military observers.
Germany. France and Great Brit
aim he said. do not allow our OBJ
servers to acquire information about
these matters. Censorship wells the
number of accidents in the air.
1--WE hear Of their successes; we do not
hear of their failures, officially
Mr.. Baker said he did not believe there
is need for government aeroplane plant
and thought it better to let individual
manufacturers compete to produce the
best
Sec. Baker said the recent differences
among the officers in the aviation service
were attributable to impatience at being
controlled by men whom they may have
regarded as not knowing the work In
which they were engaged.
Col. Squer to Supervise Flyers
81 have determined he said, to reor-
ganize the entire aviation section and put
organize under an entirely net set of rules
diiu We VIII nav Z III liiC super SiSioH WI ~
the services of Col. Squier, who is re-
turning from Europe.
I'VE will have board comprising Capt
Clark, who has been making scientific
study at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology; Lieut.. Milling, who is the
best flyer in the army-and the best fly
ers in the country are in the army-and
Lieut. Jones. who is only second to him
as fyer-a board which will make tests
of aeroplanes.
my idea is to have a more or less CEN
trail ground convenient to the manufac-
turers of aeropanes with every machine
any maker may offer We want to delay
until we can get the best that each man.
ufacturer can offer.
Il was talking the other day with
Lieut.. Milling" Sec. Baker continued,
'and he told me of having seen %
deaths in the air and that "a were due
to the operator and not the machine"
Thinks Reorganization Possible
Chairman Hay asked the secretary
if he was satisfied he would be able
''to get rid of dead timber and reorgan-
ize the service and make it up to date
Sec. Baker replied that he felt the
Investigations had been SO thorough
and the departments power was so
adequate that he believed an entire
reorganization of the aviation service
was possible.
Sec. Baker said that in the Euro
pean war many cases. including anti
guns, had limited the average
life of an aeroplane to about 10 days.
DO you know of any reason why we
should make any provision for Yep
pelin?' asked Chairman Hay.
The dirigible balloon has proven an
failure except in the case
of the Zeppelin" said the secretary,
land in the case of the Zeppelin their
methods of control have been care
fully guarded and kept secret in
Germany. We could experiment with
them, of course"