The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-06-19
GREAT AMERICAN AIR FLEET
ONLY WAY TO CHECK U-BOAT
Pear. .dakes Strong Plea Before
Senate t;r Special United States
Aviation Beard and Millions
of Dollars.

Washington, June Eff the Uni
ted States devotes the same concern
tration of effort in developing its air
equipment and personnel as Germany
has put forth in developing the sub
j., marine our nation will nave the an
swer to the submarine and will hasten
a quick decision of the war;
! In this sentence Rear Admiral Ro-
bert E. Peary today asummer up the
aerial possibilities OF the United
States as a great factor for her allies.
He made the statement before a sub
committee of the senate which began
| a hearing on the Sheppard-Hurlburt
bifl for the creation of department OF
aeronautics. the head of which shall
be a member of the presidents cabi-
nent.
Admiral Peary declared that Amer
ica's first step to fight the U-boat
should be to send not less than 1000
aercplanes to the French front. This
advance feet should be followed by
another and another and another. Ad-
miral Peary, chairman of the national
aerial coast patrol commission, wants
to see aeroplane construction SO
standardized in this country that they
can be turned out quickly and as
perfectly as great numbers of automo-
biles are produced.
Coast Defense
The unpreparedness of the nation
to protect it's own coast lines In case
| pointed out by the admiral, who sug-
gested that the national defense would
| be increased 300 per cent If 1000 hy-
| dro-aeroplanes were strung along the
| coasts. =
81 was looking at plan within the
! last four weeks Of. an aeroplane on
which at that time there had been
about six weeks construction, ma
: chine already contra cted for by the
I government, which will carry 1000
/ pounds dead weight exclusive if its
own weight and it is probably con-
templated that the 1000 pounds OF
weight will be taken up by the driver,
by two gun operators. two guns and
the rest of it explosives. ammunition
or gasoline This is a machine that
is being built today.
"This is only the beginning of the
development of the entire science.
In future development there is going
to be precisely the same increase IN
size and carrying capacity that there
has been in ships, locomotives. sub
marines Of vehicles of any kind
Admiral Peary referred to the re-
markable explosives exploits of Cap
! tain Bcelke. Captain Immelman and
Captain Guynemer, each of whom have
begged 80 or more antagonists.
Individuals
:; Their achievements" he said, re
/! present the skill of the individual ami
the single machine. After that comes
the combination of them with tactics
and strategy
| By way of showing the determining
factor of aircraft in war the admiral
referred to the recent achievements OF
French airmen in the attack upon the
salient at Messines ridge, north OF
Arras, where there were in action one
{ type of machines 1000 feet in the air
and another type 5000 feet and an
E, other type close to the ground.
"In place of the airship of one .indl-
yidual and single machine he said.
f; "the time is coming when the unit OF
this aerial work. instead of being a
SQUADRON of - machines as it is TO-
day, is going to be a division maze
up of brigades, each brigade. of which
will be formed of 500 to 1000 air
J., planes