Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-08-12
FRENCHMAN URGES.
PLANE BUILDING
Thinks U. S. Should Make
Thousands of Aircraft
Next Year.
ALLIES MUST WIN IN AIR
Active Construction Program
Would Turn Tide, Says
Captain.
ALLIES MUST WIN IN AIR

(This Is the third OF three inter-
views on aviation and It's achievements
on the European battle fronts by Cap
tain dc la Grange, of the French avia-
ton corps, issued by the committee on
public information. Captain de la
Grange has fought in the air extens-
lively almost from the beginning ui
the war and is reputed by authorities
to have rare knowledge OF the actual
capabilities of alrplanes In actual war
fare and of the technical difficulties
arising In their manufacture,
II have spoken already" said Cap
tain de la Grange, "of the great help
America can bring to the allies in 1918
by establishing allied superiority III
the air. We know that this superior
ity would secure speedier and more
decisive victory"
The captain said he is sure that the
most effective and quickest way III
which the United States can help the
allies is In aviation. "The formauon
of large aviation section by the
United States" he said, sis only u
question OF money. 1t takes two TO
four months to train pilot We have
already seen how quickly sturdy
young men can be turned into excel
lent aviators. In less than n year It
would be possible to have more than
five thousand pilots. These pilots
would be trained for the first few
months In the United States and for
the last months in the American
school that is now being created in
France, at Issoudun.
THE important question is that of
material The experiences Of the last
three years has permitted the allies
to create models of military aeroplanes
which fulfill all that Is demanded or
them-great climbing ability. great
horizontal speed, ease of handling at
high altitude, and power to carry
arms. The American government has
the possibility of building these planes
and of giving them to their pilots.
Requires Great Effort
"If the government wishes to, be-
fore the 1st Of April, 1918, it can
have a tremendous aero fleet sup
pose It decided to have only 5000
planes and 10000 motors. In oroet
to keep that number of aeropanes
always at the front 1t will be neces-
sary to build 1000 planes and 1000
motors per month, viz, $4,000 planes
next nine months. Therefore, be-
tween January /, 1918, the Uniteu
States must build $4,000 planes and
10000 motors. This means a great
effort on the part of the American
factories. They can make this ef1ori,
as they have already the buildings,
the workmen. and part of the ma
chinery needed. They have also a large
number of the best scientists and
technicians. The size of the orders
given them will insure obtaining the
money necessary to organize the
plants for their construction.
1.-TWO difficulties will be met at
once. the first, that of skilled LABOR,
The American industry has, as far as
possible, replaced manual labor by
machines. The following motto is
written in one of the American factor
ies: Manual labor must be abolished
whenever a machine can take its
place. In constructing airplanes ma
chimes are not sufficient; very good
filters are needed, and great number
of them also; they must be taught the
methods used in French and English
factories.
THE necessary steps should be
taken to recruit these men as soon
as possible, and in view of this the
board of production is sending a COM
mission, composed of skilled work
men, to France. so that they should
study the methods used in the factor
les there. When finished, they wil,
return to the United States, they wifi
be able to train the workmen as well.
THE second difficulty is that of
manufacturing quickly enough ma
chimes and tools necessary for build
ing such large supply of planes and
motors. Altho the best American en-
gineers are giving all their attention
to this, it will be impossible, / am
afraid, to build these machines fast
enough so that at the 1st Of JanuaI y,
1918, each factory will be able to pro-
duce ten motors per month, but
twenty or thirty.
Day and Night Shifts.
"In my opinion. there is only one
way in which this difficulty can DO
surmounted. 1t is to realize that the
work must go on night and day, and.
in consequence, to organize night
shifts so that the machines will never
be idle. The French workmen, wncir
they understood how important it was
to turn out for the front planes and
motors in great numbers and as rap
idly as possible did not hesitate W
adopt night work, because they knew
that their work at the factories would
save the lives of their comrades who
during this time were fighting in the
trenches
''In order TO examine every phase
OF this problem of intensive American
production, we must take up the ques-
sio, ,,a,onor.oti from, Arperica 70