The Washington herald., 1917-03-22
Army and Navy News
Best Service CoIumn IN Cfty.


Bardley A Fiske. rear admiral. United
States navy, retired, a member OF the
central committee on aeronautics of the
Aero Club Of America, suggests In q
memorandum to Alan r. Hawley. pres
ident Of the club. the building Of fleets Of
battleplanes for the protection of Amerf-
can coasts. He says that II our feet is
defeated in the Atlantic in the next year
we would not have an army that could
stand up against any European force
that might land on our shores. But IL
we had division Of 100 battleplanes
near New York, he points out, they could
prevent Decentralization.
The battleplanes, he explains, could be
equipped with three-inch guns and the
muzzle energy OF 100 such guns would
equal the muzzle energy and destructive
power Of 10000 soldiers rifles.
Wider Field of Usefulness Here.
'If battleplanes." Admiral F1ske wrote,
have field Of usefulness in Europe.
where the distances are very small and
where the organization. training and
strategical employment of large armies
have reached a high state of develop
ment- do they not have a much wider
Held In the United States, where the dis
tances are relatively enormous and where
the organization. training and strategical
employment of large armies are almost
unknown?
"A division of. say, 100 battleplanes
near New York. costing about So, 600 900,
certainly could prevent the disembarka-
ton, transit in boats to the shore and
landing of any force of soldiers, es-
pecially II the battleplanes were assisted
by. say, 300 small aeroplanes dropping
bombs. Similar divisions at other points,
including one at the Panama Canal,
could perform similar services and the
great speed Of the aircraft would enable
each division to guard a long extent OF
coast.
"a division of 100 battleplanes could go
from New York to the Capes OF the
Chesapeake in three or four hours. They
could be equipped with s-inch guns.
Planes Developed Rapidly.
The size and power OF the aeroplane
already have gone far beyond the limits
set for its possible development by Ger
tain engineers only three years ago The
practical difficulties OF making It larger
still are quite apparent: yet nevertheless
no theoretical limits to its size and power
have yet been accepted by aeronautics
That the aeroplane is now the best single
weapon against the submarine is con-
ceded. That the aeroplane. and especial
ly the battleplane. will rapidly advance in
size and power within the coming year
and afterward is the mature belief Of
many aeronauts. Should we not there
fore Immediately investigate its capabili-
ties not only as a scout and accessory,
but as a major instrument Of warfare ?"
Although the work of demobilizing the
National Guard units throughout the
country is not to be discontinued. it was
learned yesterday that plans have been
made for the rehabilitation Of the citizen
soldiery and the recruiting Of the militia
up to 10000 men.
There has been a great deal Of con-
fusion because of the seemingly conflict
ing orders growing out of the rail strike
crisis. Orders to demobilize, to cease de-
mobiliZing and to resume demobiliZing
have followed in quick succession Ma
tional Guard officers have been at a loss
to understand them.
Now that information comes OF the in
tcnion OF the War Department to recruit
the Guard up to 900 900 men, there is more
confusion than ever. No move toward
the recruiting OF such an army can be
made without an act of Congress, but
every State has been made aware OF the
desire Of the government that the militia
shall be recruited up to full war strength
at once,
Meanwhile recruiting for the regu-
lar army goes on apace. The tense
ness of the foreign situation has done
wonders in attracting men to the
ColOrs. Reports made public yester-
day show that in thirteen recruiting
districts more men were obtained in
February than were wanted in the en-
tire United States army. Recently the
scheme proposed by Secretary OF War
Baker to have postmasters throughout
the United States act as recruiting
agents has proven most successful.
No word OF the proposed increase in
the army has been given out by the
War Department. but 1t is known that
contracts have been let for olive drab
uniforms and other equipment for
100000 soldiers.
Special efforts will be made from
now on to have the National Guard
recruit men who may be trained as
aviators. 1t is agreed that the air
branch of the army is one of the most
important arms of the service and that
the United States must perfect its
aviation corps.
ARMY ORDERS