Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-08-25

Inc ILuliuu tIlplhut, hllftb ny OOI
horse power Caproni engines. for In
stance, will make a military load OF
more than three tons to a height OF
$500 feet in IS minutes.
Defeat of U-6oats Seen.
The fact that these great machines
cost $4,000 or more each will not pre-
vent their being built in large numbers
in the United States, once the neceS,
sary jigs, dies, and special tools are
completed from the models furnished
by the Italian government.
Many experts see in the creation of
fleet of such big airships, together
with five or six times as many small
fighting planes for their protection, the
only certain method of defeating the
submarine peril, of destroying NUM-
ton plants and military and naval
bases and of swiftly driving the Ger
man army back behind the Rhine.
"The program for which this vasl
appropriation has just been made,
said Howard Il. Coffin, chairman Of the
aircraft production board, ''must be
carried out with promptness equal
to that of congress in passing the bill.
Whatever crimes may later be laid at
our doors, that of slowness in accom-
plishment must not be one of them.
We are ready to go ahead at once"
AirpIane Samples Coming.
within two weeks" went on Mr..
Coffin, samples of many airplanes
now used by our allies on the Euro
pean battle fronts will be on exhibit
ton in the temporary building erect
ed for the purpose at the rear Of the
Smithsonian institution. There they
may be examined and studied by the
manufacturers of the United States.
''In the matter of aircraft as in 9th
err military matters, we have ceased
to think nationally. Every step will
be taken after conference and in full
cooperation with our allies.
"We are in daily conference with
representative of the British, French,
and Italian flying corps here In Wash
ington, and decision practically has
been reached as to the exact part to
be played by each of the allies in win
ming the war in the air.
"Our factories, of course, will have
the advantage of copying the latest
and best types of airplane engines
devolved in France, Italy and Eng
land. Nor have our own inventors
and designers been idle during the past
three years. There now are engines of
American design and inven-
ton which weigh only two pounds to
the horse power.
Three Training Fields Ready
"Whatever may be the difficulty of !
turning out Immediately In the United
States the swift and delicate fighting
planes of the latest type, we already
ire manufacturing in large numbers
planes which are fitted for the train
ng of air pilots and observers.
"Three of the "a big aviation fields
which we shall build for training our
lew air army already are completed,
md the work of instruction is under
way.
1.-THE public, generally, has small
dea of the immensely Of these great
raining camps for birdmen. Camp
Wilbur Wright, for instance, located
lear Dayton, O., home Of the immortal
inventor of the heavier than-air flying
machine, covers a tract of land meas
ring two miles by four miles. It's
langars stretch unbroken for dis
ance of two miles. These buildings
will house IA biplanes for the use of
he embryo aviators. The United
states will be the great training camp
or aviators for all the allied armies"
One may get faint idea OF the al
most incredible expansion which is
in the air branch of the mil.
tary and naval arm of the United
'tates forces by considering that while
low there are only few more than
fly commissioned officers in the avi.
ton section Of the signal corps Of
he army, 1t is proposed to increase
t to total Of 10000 officers and
nen.