The Washington herald., 1917-04-17
Army and Navy News
Best Service Column I'm City.

planes are equal to the best in Europe
with ratio Of safety for the American
machine quoted at six to three. Is the
finding Of an Advisory Committee on
Aeronautics, of which Alan B. Hawley,
president OF the Aero Club OF America,
Is chairman The report was made only
after a careful investigation OF all kinds
OF machines
In making the Investigation the COM
mittee co-operated with Rear Admiral
Nathan r. Usher. commandant of the
Third Naval District. in the organiza-
ton OF the Naval Reserve forces. The
results OF the investigation form part of
detailed arrangement dealing with
aerial defenses needed for the district
which extends from New London, Conn.
| to BarnegLt N. ]. It has particular
reference TO the aerial protection Of ship
ping and the employment of aircraft
for submarine chasing. The exact de-
tails Of the. arrangement are withheld
/ from publication, for obvious reasons.
| The report in part reads as follows:
"a further investigation has shown that
the reason why only the training type
Of aeroplanes has been ordered in this
country by the allies is that the limited
production in this country in the last
two years did not permit deliveries Of
thousands Of aeroplanes and II would
have been most inefficient to send to the
front a few hundred aeroplanes of a type
for which spare parts were not availa-
bic. This inability on the part OF Ameri-
can constructors to deliver aeroplanes
by the thousand at the time when the
allies needed the aeroplanes most made
lit necessary for the different countries
10 create their own sources of supplies
for the bulk Of the aeroplanes needed
| by them.
THE committees investigation shows
that all the reports regarding the al
! legged inefficiency OF American aeroplanes
and motors are based on the fact that
close TO two years ago. when II was
almost impossible to get the suitable
metals for crank shafts. a shipment Of
American motors proved to be unsat-
, Isfactory and the motors had to be re-
constructed in England. But the inves-
tigation also shows that the allies had
the same trouble at the time with British
and French products. These facts were
brought out by the recent investigation
OF the Royal Flying Corps Of Great
I britain"
| Six thousand airplanes in the next three
years is what army and civilian experts
| say manufacturers OF the United States
| will be able to turn out for the govern
| ment, while the needs OF the army alone
call for more than 5000 in that time. The
| output. the experts say. for the next year
| II will have totaled 1000 and by the end
OF three years 5000. The factories are
working day and night to their full ca
| pacity at present and II is said they will
| make every effort to meet the govern
ment's demands I'm some way.
The plans OF the army alone for the
next three years call for 800 machines
| by the end OF the next fiscal year, 500
| during the second year and $500 at the
end of the third. These machines are
| of the school type, for use in training
| flyers for the army. In addition. IL II
becomes necessary to send a force to Eu-
| rope, the United States will require a
large number Of scouting machines, bat
| tie planes and other types of aircraft
used by the European belligerents.
The army now has less than 200 air
planes, whereas something Ike 1000
young men and some young women have
signifed their desire to enter the avia-
ton service.
For eight years before August %, 1916
Congress appropriated a little more than
| 10000 for aviation On that date SIa
| 10000 was appropristed-s good deal
more money than was asked for.
The failure OF the army to develop a
great flying corps is due primarily to the
! fact that machines are not available. Air
plane manufacturers are absolved from
blame by officials who are familiar with
! the facts.
Two high ranking officers Of the Brit
ish and French flying corps have been
detailed to duty Fith the War Depart
! ment to assist in building up the avia-
| tion arm The new war budget carries
| S6O,Oo0.O0o for aviation. but development
will continue to be limited despite this
| large sum.
| Within three months the proposed Co.
| lumbia University War Hospital in New
! Pork City can be made ready for use n
| the necessary financial backing Is secured,
! according to an announcement OF the
committee in charge. The hospital will
be erected on the old Columbia Oval in
the Bronx and the buildings first COM
pleted will be equipped with 500 beds.
The hospital will be a practical training
center for surgeons, nurses and others
at the front Details OF the institutional
! equipment, such as mobile field units
which may be rushed to any scene OF
calamity, will receive special attention.
The cost Of building and maintaining the
hospital for one year has been estimated
at 100000, the raising OF which sum by
popular subscription is the immediate OBJ
ject of the committee in charge OF ar
ranGements.
The finance committee. in cooperation
with DR.. Nicholas Murray Butler. presi-
dent OF the university, has been author.
lied to set in motion the necessary ma
chinery to make the hospital an accom-.
plished fact as soon as practicable.
"