The sun., 1917-06-04
AispIsne ReenfoPeements for Our
Allies Imperative.

With the organization Of the Air
craft Production Board, "Amerlca,"
to quote Mr.. HowARD COFFIN, the
chairman, has started on the right
road to work out her destiny in the
air and take the place to which her
capacity entities her and which the
world expects Of her" As an air
power the United States has no stand
ing at this moment. It's army and
navy machines are numbered by the
score. Great Britain and France
number theirs by the thousand. Be
tween 100 and 800 planes, including
German machines. were destroyed or
brought down on the western front In
the month Of April. At this rate eight
or nine thousand airplanes would be
put out OF action In n year. On the
British coast there are no less than
1O7 aeronautic stations, from which
planes go out hourly every day, II fly
ing Is possible, to scout the sea for
submarines. So the three great con-
tending Powers plan for airplanes in
the thousands. and that Is what Amer
lea must do.
The Aircraft Production Board
reckOns on $500 airplanes for the first
year, and to operate them 5000 avia
tors must be trained. As the resources
of the army and navy In aviation
fields, machines and teachers are still
meagre, the board has enlisted six of
the great engineering schools Of the
country, and under the direction Of
General SQUIER Of the Signal Corps
they have already opened cadet avia-
tion camps. This is nucleus. Much
planning of facilities and material,
human and mechanical. remains to be
done before the great enterprise Ia
fairly under way. Authorization and
aid must be obtained from Congress,
for the expense win not be light.
A glance through the airplane inaga-
zines will show that a good many
concerns are now engaged in turning
out machines, but the trouble Is that
most Of them are Of the training type.
Moreover, the industry Is compare
lively new here, and most Of the
plants are not ready to fill contracts
on a large scale. The fact is there
are more skilful American aviators
on the western front than there are
machines in this country fit for battle
service. Hitherto the types needed
there, principally fighting and bomb
ing planes, have not been manufac-
tupred In the United States to any ex-
tent. But the patents and designs of
the French and British manufactur.
ers are now at the service of our Gov
ernment. Major L. w. B. REEs of the
British Royal Flying Corps, who has
received the v. G. for his daring work
in the air. is in this country to make
the assurance for Great Britain and
give the Signal Corps the benefit Of
his experience.
Let us understand why American
reenIOrcements III the air are 80 nec-
essary. The French and British SER
vice on the western front Is undoubt-
edly superior to the German, but until
the enemy machines can be driven
from the air along the battle line, thus
destroying his only means Of recon.
naissance, the territory of France and
Belgium can probably not be cleared
OF the invader. The day Taubes no
longer cleave the air will witness the
breakdown Of the German campaign.
II the United States had begun two
years ago TO create a great aviation
corps Of thousands OF machines and
thousands Of pilots, observers and