Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-15
AVIATION BILL PASSES
WITHOUT DISSENTING VOTE
House Takes First Of Two Steps
Necessary to Create Gigantic
Air Fleet.
NOW UP TO SENATE
Calls for Appropriation Of $64O, OOO,-
900, but Does Not Reveal Any
Other Details of Great Program.
Under Consideration Five Hours.
wAsHINGroN.July-14.-rho Ho,

+! 'WASHINGToNs-July,T314.-The House
! of representatives sent its greetings
to glorious France on Bastille Day by
! passing the enormous 100000. 900
aviation bill without q dissenting vote.
The first Of tho two Legislative steps
air neet which will ny against Ger
many. 1t is now up to the Senate.
The House took five hours to pass
the bill. 1t could have transacted the
legislation easily in two. But jealousy
because the government had not
stopped to refer the bill and it's huge
appropriation to the Appropriations
instead of the Military Committee held
up its passage for a time. Attack
was leveled at parts of the bill.
However. at the end there was only one
voice of actual dissent. McKeown, of
Oklahoma. sent up an amendment slic-
ing the appropriation in half. He did
not explain his reason. The amend
ment was vigorously voted down. Nc
Keown's voice. however. was not
raised in no" on the final passage
Of the bill.
The bill as passed is OF a blanket
nature. 1t does not reveal how many
airplanes are to be built, how much
they will cost, what will be the or
ganizatlon Of the fleet how many
aviators Will serve, or, in fact, any
details. This secrecy seemed to rankle
in the bosoms OF some of the Con-
gressmen. who. with n 'NIissouri-like"
attitude. wanted to be shown" But
Dent, chairman OF the Military Affairs
Committee, and Kahn, the ranking Re-
publican member. pleaded time and
again that II was false policy to spread
the nations military secrets before
German eyes. James r. 1Iann. the
Republican House leader. cried amidst
cracking applause:
EVERY FACT REVEALED WILL
FIND WAY TO GERMANY
IF had my way. I'd pass this bill
without word. Every bit of in
formation given in Congress will find
its way to Germany I would not give
the Germans any Information until
they find 1t on the battle field"
Cries OF vote! vote" rang out with
Mann's last word. But Fitzgerald,
chairman Of the Appropriations Com
mittee, insisted that he must explain
his position. The debate then con-
tinued for three extra hours. AS
to appoint regular and reserve Of
ficers. enlisted men, national guards
men and civilians to the aviation corps,
either permanently or temporarily.
He also can draft men between twenty
one and thirty-one. subject to the same
qualifications as apply in the regular
military draft. All officers below
colonel will be appointed by tho Presi-
dent alone. Those above must have
tho consent of the Senate.
The position OF st-class chauffeur
and chauffeur are created. with tho
pay Of sergeants and the rank OF cor
oral. There will also be junior mill
tary aviators. military aviators. junior
military aeronauts (balloon service)
and military aeronauts. Flyers must
serve three years In the junior grade
unless promoted for distinguished SER
vice. Flyers receive an increase Of 25
per cent over regular pay. Few
changes were made in tho bill.
Fitzgerald put in the maximum ago
limit Of thirty-one. Lenroot, OF Wis
consin. amended the measure SO that
CONTINUED on EiEhth PaQeO