The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-07-31

the FAVORED
As AUidtors
Those Who Have PLAYED Tennis,
Basketball, Football and
Baseball Are Best
lBy The Aasoeiated prensl

BEhhEl.E1, California, July l3--
Athletes, including such men as have
played games ppsh as tepnis, basket.
ball, football and baseball, are among
the very best material from which 60
pick the men who will make up the per.
sonnet of the American iyinq saund.
rons, according TO B. NJ. Woods. dean
of the School Of Military Aeronautics
at the University of California. They
possess the essential qualification of a
highly developed muscular co.ordina.
tion and quick judgement.
In speaking Of the estimate Of the
requirements for acceptance Of q man
in the aviation section Of the United
States Army Dean Woods said:
when Col. J.. w. b. Rees, one Of the
men who has helped TO make the ROYAL
Flying Corps unit the wonderfully ef.
fectiye branch Of the British Army IL
now is, was flying over the German
lines with an observer busily engaged
in obtaining important photographs, he
was attacked by an enemy airnlane. In.
stead of immediately attacking the Cd.
posing plane, as its pilot hoped that he
Soulu do, ne continued his assigned
task until the required photographs had
been obtained, then turned upon his
pursuer with burst Of machine gun
FIRE, disabled his machine and sent him
Town. This incident is one of many
showing the marvellous morale that can
be developed in a group Of men of the
proper caliber. IL is on account of the
high personal requirements OF the kind
Indicated above that the British have
found il desirable to permit no man 20
ay who does not possess the qualifica.
tions of an officer. The American air
pilot is to be fashioned after the Brit
ish pilot in this respect; In other
words, every American flyer win be an
lffieef esa
Costs Nation $4,000
IAN officer is a man who is expected
to obey orders and display judgement
at the same time. His responsibilities
are great. For example, it takes six
months to properly train flying Off
,er.' His training and machine have
sost the government about twenty five
thousand dollars when he gets to the
firing line. Hence, single error Of
judgement can cost his country the
whole amount invested, in addition to
his life and his value to the army to
which he belongs. The two hundred
men now in an important school OF mil
tary aeronautics in the United States
have thus n minimum destructive power
of five million dollars. Lord Kitchener
has said that one good air pilot is the
equivalent of an army corps for effect
yeness in the field. While this Is per-
haps not strictly true at the present
time, the lack of judgement and char
9eter in the makeup of the pilots Of a
Geld army may render it's work useless.
When the word of a man in the air can
iivert the fire of many guns from as
signed tasks to target he considers
efficiently important, il Is obvious that
MS judgement must be reliable il he is
o hold his job. a-, aE
| lie Must Have Education t
SIN choosing q candidate for the air
service, one is constantly face TO face
with the problem of deciding whether
the applicant has the possibilities OF an
officer; whether he will develop into n
man who will turn to his country 5 ne
count every blunder of the enemy with
that rare judgement of the American
man of business or engineer, The man
who possesses these characteristics will
usually be one who has given evidence
of brain power, Consequently, ap ap.
lplicant for this service may expect to
have his educational qualifications in
yestigated..
"Normahy, one between the ages OF
nineteen and twenty-five who has not
completed high school will not possess
the requisites of an officer. Consequent.
| ly, selections are usually made from
those who have completed high school
and preferably some college work.
Proper equivalents are accepted when
they seem to indicate capacity on the
part of the man. - H.
Physically, eyesight, hearing, lungs,
heart and nerves are essential. 1t Is
particularly necessary that muscular
co,ordinpnce be exhibited. On this &C,
count men who have played games such
as tennis, basketball, football and base
ball, which require highly developed
muscular coordination and quick Judge
ment, are peculiarly adapted to under
taking the work OF the aviation see.
| ton So, '...-