The Washington herald., 1917-08-27
EXTRA Billion
FOR AIR Army
Congress Ready to Appro-
pirate This Amount,
SAYS Senator.

Congress Is ready to appropriate 81
oOc,oOO,ooo more to enlarge the AmerI-
can aircraft program. Administration
leaders have given this definite as
! surance concerning new plans which
are now being worked by the War
Department. For military reasons
these plans are kept secret but it
can be said that the highly successful
! tests OF the new standardized United
! States airplane motor have convinced
| military experts that quantity pro-
duction should be stimulated to. the
| limit of Americas manufacturing
| power.
! The new program Of the government
will broaden upon a vast scale the
original aircraft construction plans
and will have the effect of placing on
| the French front a far greater num-
/ ber of fighting machines at date
much earlier than was first con-
/ tcmplated. War Department officials
| directing aircraft work are said TO be
| confident that thousands of American
made fighting machines will be ready
| for service in France early next
| spring.
| Speaks for Colleagues.
Senator Morris sheppard, Of Texas,
one of the most prominent and in
| huential members of the Senate Mill
[ tary Affairs Committee, last night re-
/ flected the view of his colleagues In
| the assertion that any additional sum
the President and his advisers may
! deem necessary for further extending
the aircraft program will be quickly
| forthcoming.
"Just as soon as the War Depart
ment says 81 .OOO, 600, 600 Is needed for
more aircraft. il will be provided
without a doubt" Senator Sheppard
| said. "Of course the necessity for il
must be shown but when that is made
clear Congress will act and act with
/ out delay. Congress is ready to give
unobstructed way to such legislation.
q Congress will be just as quick as in
! the past to authorize every dollar
| needed to win this war. And Con-
/ gress is now conviced that American
air machines can win this war by
! binding the enemy"
The aircraft production board re
ported last night that preliminary
1 tests of the standardized airplane
motor had exceeded all expectations.
( Officials were silent concerning the
/ details OF the new design and the
| performance OF the engines tried out
Motor Capabilities Told.
Officials have let II he known. how
ever. that the standardized motor hal
/ not been designed primarily for
| speed, but the elements of durability
I and reliability co-ordlnated with high
ratio power for each round Of weight
! have been emphasized by the engi-
neers engaged at work upon the de-
vice. Numerous factories have been
/ equipped in such way as to turn out
/ in large numbers various parts Of the
engine being perfected. and reports
from these plants as relates TO guam
| tity production are very encouraging
! to officials.
Under the plans upon which aero
| plane factories are now working
/ three distinct types of machines will
be turned out for service upon the
: French front. These are the small.
/ swift machines designed for air ducls
and for use as screen observers and
/ bombing craft: daylight bombing ma
| chimes sufficiently swift TO minimize
! the danger of anti-airCraft guns and
! large enough to carry observers. radio
and bombs, and the night bombing
| machines which are built for carrying
I capacity rather than speed.