The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-12-10
AS
AERO STATION
MUCH FAVORED
REPORT OF SECT. OF NAVY
DANIELS ALSO POINTS OUT
THIS PLACE AS BASE FOR
SUBMARINES.

Desirability of Pensacola as an
aeronautical station, with the recon-
mendation that this port be derel-
opad as a base for submarines and
destrcycrs is stressed in the report OF
Josephus Daniels. Secretary of the
Navy, n1ade public today
On this point the report savs:
"Notwith standing occasional dam
are from hurricanes the boards in.
snection of Pensacola and consid "a
ton of all data available indicate tho
desirability of using that yard as an
aeronautical station, fer whirh pur-
pose it is now being used. It IS proc
tically closed as an industrial yard
for general service Of the feet. but
tie board recom;n nends it's add .tion1l
limited development as a base for
submarines and dest~overs."
Pensacola is also mentioned an>ore
those ports recommended by tie
commission to he established avi2-
ton bases. Other base SITES ara:
Chatham, Mass; MoRtauk Point. L.
L.; RocEawav Beach. l.. L.; Cane May
delaware River entranoe. Har,pton
Roads. Miami. Colon. Panama Canal
and NORTH Jslar1 San Diero.
In covering the war DEVELOPMENT
in naval aeron"utics the repo~t says:
"ln my report a year aco ! was
compelled to state that the develop
n,ent of air craft in the navy has
not progressed as rapidly as useful
ness demands Durinr the past year
tAere has been an enormous expan-
sion and development of the naval
cir service, which may be said to
d2te FROM the possa~e of the naval
act of AUGUST %, 1916. The appro-
priation for aviation for the navy
sine Julv 1. 1916 have been s67,-
622 900. Up to tbs time naval avia-
ton had Feen almost entirely in the
excerimental and DEVELOPMENT STAGE.
ard there We're comparatively few Of
fcers who We're avioters.
"To bid up Avirg personnel wes
necessarilv \ primary requirement.
and for this p-rpose the Hvinr
school at Pensacola was ENLARGED
and reo~-anized. and seanianes con-
structad in cuantItv Of tvpe su:ta-
hle for instruction purposes incor-
poratire all safetv features known
to the art at that time. The desi~n
of this school seaplane wass ortlined
bv the department and arranre-
ments made with contractor for its
supplv. Other builders were en-
cou~aoed to develop improvements.
and the depart~-ert now is able to
nnrchase satisfactory school sea-
plnres from at least four bu'lders
'The s-,nplv of school seaplaces Is
now considered edau's+e to rreet the
needs Of all Of the trainine stations.
'To broaden the trairinr and TO
k-ino in new ideas, men have been
sont 70 France Fn~land, and Canada
for f1vino Instruction.
Satisfactory Motors Developed.
"As TIE training of men proe-
reeeed, everv effort was made to d.
ve'op searlares Of Greater power and
endurance for service use. This 1e-
veloprnent has been badly hendi-
bv lsrk of suitable hioh
rowered Are~iran enrine hrt even
tra'lr one hri'Inr succeeded in de-
veloninp a 2no-hc->eno--er tractor
seep'are lar-elv r-5er TIE anco,r-
a~er,ent and assistance Of the de-
nartrent Seo-',res Of this tvne
were then surr''ei in uuartitv to the
coastal air stations which wave ec-
tahlished after tha declaration Of
var ard are available for operation
from these air. stations"