Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-10-13
Depends on the United States.

1t would be almost trite TO dwell
upon the part the aircraft viii play
In the European war, even the veriest
layman readily understanding the sur
passing Importance of the service to be
rendered. Likewise. 1t goes without
saying that dependence now devolves
upon the United States to contribute
largely to It.
Military authorities here hear that
Germany Is working feverishly on air
craft production upon mammoth
scale. The shifting of the onus of bat
tie from the sea to the air is proceeding
rapidly. For obvious reasons. nothing
is said about the preparations of the
allies alon gthe same lines.
Great dependence is to be placed upon
the contribution of the United States to
the personnel of the aircraft service
Goodness. judgment and self-relianCe,
as well as courage, must be possessed
by the airmen, and the authorities here
have fullest confidence in the ability of
America to produce young men having
all these attributes. The training
camps are demonstrating the fact every
day.
To Control Huge Expenditure.
The aircraft board will control the
expenditure of the s640.000,000 already
authorized in lump sum by Congress,
and such other appropriations as must
necessarily be made if the war contin-
explicitly placed under the direction
and control of the Secretary CT War
and the Secretary of the Navy.
The board shall supervise and direct
in accordance with the requirements
prescribed or approved by the depart
ments. the purchase and production of
aircraft engines, ordnance and instru-
ments and the construction of plants
The contracts, however, shah be let
respectively, by the already constituted
II nf he
partments.
1t was learned today that a gratifying
proportion Of the whole number of
training camps for aviators, the total
to be twenty-four, have already been
constructed and are in operation. The
War Department refrains from making
public the location of these camps or
any details concerning them.
when the aircraft board enters upon
its duties it will find already completed
standard engine for airplanes. The
elght-cylinder engine is now "in the
air. that is to say. is being operated
on flying machines. The production OF
that engine is one of the proudest
acting under the suggestion Of the
Council of National Defense.
Designed in Twenty-Eight Days.
That engine was designed and com
pleted, a going concern" within the
space of twenty-eight days last sum-
mer. In making the plans nothing was
considered that had not already been
successfully demonstrated as operata-
BILE. Theories were rejected and only
the approved work of the best engi-
neering thought of the country was
adopted.
Standardization" was the watch
word as applied to all parts of the
motor. This simplif1es the question of
repairs back of the lines, for one thing
as well as rendering it possible to con-
the same time.
The cylinders are designed separately,
and the new engine can be built in four
models. ranging from four to twelve
cylinders. The same pistons, valves,
cam shafts and SO one can be used upon
either a four. eight or twelve cylinder
engine.
The team work" of the service has
been SO co-ordinated that when the mo-
tors are ready the planes shall be ready
also. and when they are set up, the
machine guns will be on hand and I'm
ally the men trained to operate them.
In very short time the first all
American made airplane will be ship
ped to the battle lines. From the cam
era to the machine gun every part of
this fighting air craft will have been
made in the United States. At the same
time machines made of American ma
terials are being constructed abroad.
and, IN fact, approximately one-fourth
OF the number required Will be made
abroad.