The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-04-24
MAN WHO DISCOVERED NORTH
POLE DECLARES WE ARE
DEFENSELESS
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES HAVE VAST
NUMBERS
Should Patrol Both Coasts and Mexi-
can BOrder-Canada to Spend Large
Sum on Aeroplanes During Present
Year.

SAN FRANCISCO, April 23-The
Army and Navy News for April issued
today, contains an article by Rear Ad-
miral Robert E. Peary, the man who
discovered the North Pole and who is
at present chairman of the Aerial
Coast Patrol Commission, in which the
necessity for a vast increase in num-
ber of aeroplanes and revolution In
the management of our aerial defenses
are urged. The article in part fol-
lows:
The most vital and immediate mat
ter in our National Preparedness is
air preparedness. In this at the pres
ent time we are not only deficient
we are absolutely lacking and yet the
United States gave flight to the world
The remedy for this extremely dan
porous condition is the immediate Gre
alton by congress of separate in
dependent department of aeronautcs,
with one of the biggest executives the
country can produce at its head, to
have full and undivided control of the
upbuilding of a great air service for
the nation.
Our air service is now handled part
ly by the army and party by the navy.
This manner-it cannot be called sys-
tennis inherently wrong. 1t means
divided and dispersed responsibility.
1t M cans diversion of officers from the
imperative work of their respective de-
partments at this crucial time. 1t
means that aeronautics in the last ana
least of the numerous duties devolving
upon these officers.
An air fleet for the United States
is too intensely vital matter to be
handled by boards of commissions or
different departments-by diluted au-
thority or divided attention. 1t must
be handled by concentrated, undivided
one-man control and responsibility.
This is the method which built the
Panama canal after four hundred
years of fussing, and it is the only
way.
Air preparedness Is for the United
States centers and hinges on the Gre
alton of a new government department
of aeronautics. Bills for the creation
of such department have already been
introduced in the present congress.
Congressman Hubert of New York
and Senator Sheppard of Texas intro
duced identical bills in the House and
Senate. These bills are modelled on
the hills which created the Depart
1O--~
wears ago and later the new Depart
ment of Labor. There is reason 10
believe these bills have the approval
of the President. The support OF
strong men in both houses, from the
East. the Middle West and the Pacific
Coast is already assured. The next
immediate step is to secure sufficient
additional support to insure the speedy
go
Golfers of March oath has the fol
lowing: "Our Army and Navy are vir-
tually blind. We have less than 200
trained aviators in the service. These
200 will be busy training other men
To fly. We have not single aeroplane
equipped with a gun. We have had tc
refuse 1000 applications from mer
who wished to enlist in the Aerial Re
serve Corps authorized by Presidenl
Wilson last summer because we nae
no way of handling them. what are
we going to do about it?"
According to information obtained
from the Government and published
in February of this year, there were
in service in the Navy 81 seaplanes
SO officers and 163 enlisted men. Ii
the Army, 73 machines, 90 officers an'
600 enlisted men.
On the other hand, Germany, France
and Great Britain are said to nav
some 10000 aeroplanes each in com
mission, and it is said that the per
sonnel of the French Air Servic
numbers more officers and men thai
our entire Army.
In the matter of grasp of the i'm
nortance of the new service as show
bv expenditures of various countries
the contrast is equally striking.
single illustration will suffice
Canada is to expend $S0,0O0,00O thi
present year in building great al
fleet. e.. .o
nautics last year were about slS'oOo'
600 and for this year the same.
In round numbers, $SO,OOO,OOO 10
Canada in one year and less than S4o
oo0 600 for us in two years. one
fourth of the amount of our next 400
neighbor with population less Ina
the state of New York.
The immediate needs OF this coun'r
are: -. a+r,
First-A strong aero coast patle
and defense system along our enui
Continued on Page 81