South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-10-05
THOUSANDS Of
A|RPLANES To
Be IN SERVICE
Eyes of Army Ready Wher
Nations Forces Move Into
Battle, Says SeC'y
Baker.

WASHINGTON, Oct 5. - Twenty
thousand airplanes for Americas
fighting forces in France, authorized
in the $64O,OOo.OOO aviation bill
passed by congress last July. actual
~ are under construction. The
! necessary motors also are being
manufactured. Sec'y Baker an
nounced Thursday and the whole
aircraft program has been so coor-
dinated that when planes and mo
tors are completed trained aviators
| as well as machine guns, and all 9TH
er equipment will be waiting for
them. when this nations army
| u owes up 20 participate in the fight
ing" said the secretary, the eyes
/ of her army Will be ready"
The types of planes cover the en-
3 tire range of training machines,
I light. high speed fighting machines,
( powerful battle and bombing planes
/ OF the heaviest design, and embrace
as well giant battle craft capable of
the work of the Italian Caproni. the
( British Handley- Page and similar
/ types.
/ Within a reasonable time. con-
/ siderins the period for preparation, q"
] Mr.. Bakers statement said, this
( country will send its first airplane
| 10 Europe This airplane, from the
! tip Of its propeller 10 the engine,
/ machine gun and camera, will have
/ been made i'm the United States.
There has been a remarkably
|
| aviators. This country has an unlim-
/ tied supply of young men possessing
! courage. self-reliance, good judg-
/ ment and decision-the things re-
| quired in the air service. This
service today is fitting thousands of
! Americans for flying"
! Twenty four flying schools have
4 been authorized. the statement re-
veals. and besides the thousands
4 training here, students from the
! United States are training in all the
I allied countries, while many of them
are undergoing intensive schooling
| behind several of the battle fronts.
] The men now in Europe will be
| turned over as finished aviators to
! the American troops in France.
American machines also are be-
/ ing built abroad, and Mr.. Baker said
that approximately one-fourth of the
| number soon 10 be needed will be
made I'm the allied countries. In
that connection stress was laid upon
the necessity for greatly developing
and expanding the aircraft industry
in the United States. all the sum
| mer and part of the early fall hav-
ing been devoted to this essential
| groundwork.
Time. too. has been required TO
bring under government control
| many of the materials required for
the manufacture of aircraft both
fer this government and the allies
as WELL as to insure conservation
Il distribution of such material.
Provision also had TO be made for
the manufacture Of the many acces-
series necessary 10 aircraft service
at the front, such as machine guns
observation apparatus. cameras and
the like, and another essential for
the quick building Of great air fl eets
for both America and its allies was
international Standardization in the
tests OF materials and their specif-
cations.
There is practically no limit To
the number OF aerial fighters which
the United states can and will fur
nish in the war for democracy
continued the secretary. No time
has been lost in experiments. The
machines which already have
proved successful will be reproduced
in large numbers in this country.