Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-04-08

| He said there was no necessity for
government manufacture of aeroplanes,
as there was no possibility of monopoly
and it was much better to have the in
dividual manufacturers competing
duce the best.
Secretary Baker submitted to the
committee revised estimate of ST.
$4,000 for the signal service. mainly
for aviation, for the regular army and
National Guard for the next fiscal
year: besides 100000 which will be
available under a previous appropria-
| ton. He was piled with questions re-
garding minute details Of the army
service and answered every one of them
instantly and clearly, like an old timer
at the head Of a big department.
He told of the troubles of the army
hiers and the wireless in the expedition
againstDVilla. He explained that the
country through which the Villa expe-
dition is operating is mountainous. I'M
making landing matter of difficulty
for the army aeroplanes He said that
or the eight biplanes working with the
e&peol1lon SIX are today in actual use.
Chief Means Of Communication.
Are they really of very much service
| there?" asked Representative Mcclellan of
Tennessee
Yes, replied Secretary Baker. I'VE
are relying on the aeroplanes entirely for
communication with the front We cannot
use the wireless sets at all in the day.
time IN Mexico. because Of the bad static
conditions, and only irregularly at night.
Ihere Is very profound disturbance of
the electric field by the large bodies Of
iron ore there. We have wireless sets on
mule packs, wagon packs and truck packs,
but the results, for the reasons mentioned
are unsatisfactory.
"AH our aeroplanes are biplanes
These machines have approximately
ninety-horsepower and should have 140
or $50 horsepower. Engine development
is the great trouble with aeroplanes.
Our trouble Is in not getting over the
nigh mountains in that section of
Mexico
Secretary BaRer demonstrated the
mechanical problems confronting the
air pliers.
The committee asked Secretary
Baker regarding the recent airing Of
differences among the personnel Of the
aviation service. He defended the
daring and skill of the army airnlen,
but indicated his purpose to reorganize
the supervision of the service -i---
To Reorganize Entire Service.
He pointed out that the recent trou-
bles among them were attributed to
impatience at being controlled by men
whom they may have regarded as not
knowing the work in which they were
engaged.
II have determined" he said. ito re-
organize the entire aviation section and
to put it under better supervision than
it has had heretofore. These aviators
are wonderfully brave. They hold an
amazing number of records, not only
for the United States but for the world.
They have made splendid records in
sustained flight and high attitudes and
have been daring pioneers. We will re-
organize the whole aviation service
under an entirely new set of rules and
we will have in the supervision work
the services Of Col. Squiers. returning
from Europe.
I'VE will have a board comprising
Col. Clark, who has been making scien-
tific study at the Massachusetts, Institute
of Technology; Lieut.. Milling. who is
the best fier in the army (and the best
fiiers in the country are in the army.
and Lieut.. Jones, who Is second only
to him as fiier, a board which win
make tests of aeroplanes.
Test for All Machines.
my idea is to have a more or less
central ground convenient to tho
manufacturers Of aeroplanes and to
have this board experiment with every
machine any maker may offer. We
want to delay until we can get the
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