The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-09-27
Apply for Commissions in Avia.
tion Corps.
1000 TO TAKE SCHOOL TEST
Secretary Of War Baker Is Satisfied
There viii Be No Shortage of Good
Flyers When the Country's New I'M
rnense Air Fleet is Resdy-Finished
Fighters Train New Men.

Since the United States entered the
war approximately $4,000 men have
applied for commissions in the avia-
tion corps. Seven, thousan& of
them fresh from college-have been
accepted for the educational and aer-
ial tests. OF this number about 80 per
cent are expected to prove capable and
will be accepted as flyers.
Hundreds of applications continue
to be received at the department daily.
Secretary Baker is satisfied the United
STATES will have no shortage of good
flyers when the countrys new i'm
mense air fleet is ready. AT present
the government has many more avail
able men for training than 1t has ma
chimes to train them with.
The aviation examination Is the
stiffest In the military branch. The
men must be almost physically per-
feet. As between two men of general
ly equal qualifications O college man Is
given the preference.
Working for Commissions.
There are 1000 men in the various
ground schools and training camps
working for commissions. Within
three months the war department ex-
poets to have at least 1900 In training.
The increase will depend upon the
rapidity with which training machines
are turned out by the Air Production
board.
After the board has completed its
construction program upward of 5000
men will be constantly In training.
eAs soon as a squadron completes its
work and proves its ability the men
will be shifted TO France to complete
their postgraduate courses.
Finished flyers are being used In
training new men. Within a short
time the general movement In small
numbers toward France will start and
men will continue to cross the Atlantic
at intervals until the spring when
great numbers will go along with the
other forces.
There are eight ground" schools In
the country where applicants for com
missions are sent after being accepted
by the department. The schools are
attached at Princeton, Cornell, Massa-
chusetts, Institute of Technology.
Georgia Technology and the Universe
ties of Illinois, Texas, Ohio and Cali
fornia. After courses In fundamental
flying here the candidates are sent to
the military aviation fields.
Aviation Fields.
These are located at Mineola, San
Diego, CAL; San Antonio. Tex; Es-
sington, Pa; Fairfield, o.; Rantoul,
H.; Belleville, Ill.; Mount Clements,
Mich; Fort Sill, Okla, and Hampton,
Va. The department soon will select
fifteen additional sites.
New fields will be ready to receive
candidates as soon as there are
enough machines available with which
to train them.
In addition to the men already ac'
cepted, 1t Is believed many thousands
Of applications will be received from
drafted men. Provost General Grow
der has ruled that any drafted mar
after reaching the environments may
apply for a commission In the avia
tion corps.
Twenty-Five thousand men have
offered to enlist for the mechanical
work connected with the corps. Wher
the war departments program is com
pleted 1t is estimated the corps vii
consist Of 100000 men of all grades
or as many men as the entire Amer
lean army consisted OF two years ago