American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-04-26

lowing: "Our army and navy are vir-
tually blind. We have less than 200
trained aviators In the service. These
200 VIII be busy training other men
to fly. We have not a single aero
plane equipped with a gun. We have
had to refuse 1000 applications from
men who wished TO enlist In the aerial
reserve corps authorized by President
Wilson last summer because we had
no way OF handling them. What are
we going to do about it?"
According to- information obtained
from the government and published
in February Of this year. there were In
service IN the navy 81 seaplanes, SO
officers and 1893 enlisted men. In the
army. % machines, SO officers and 500
enlisted men.
On the other hand. Germany. France
and Great Britain are said TO have
some 10000 %aeroplanes each in com
mission, and II is said that the per
sonnet OF the French air service mum
bers more officers and men than our
entire army.
In the matter of grasp of the i'm
portance Of the new service as shown
by expenditures of various countries.
the contrast is equally striking.
A single illustration will suffice.
Canada is to expend O,0O0. 900 this
present year in building a great air
fleet.
Our total appropriations for aero
~nautics last year we're about $4,000,
900 and for this year the same.
In round numbers. $50, 000, 900 for
Canada in n year and less than $40,-
900, 900 for us In two years. One
fourth of the amount Of our next door
neighbor with a population less than
the state of New York.
The immediate needs of this coun-
try are;
First-A strong aero coast patrol
and defense system along our entire
coasts from PASSPORT, Maine, to Brown
Vile, Texas, and from San Diego. Cal
ifornia to Cape Flattery. Washington.
A national burglar alarm, as ii were
around the entire country. A year
ago In a public address, which has
since been printed as a United States
senator document, | stated that: I'VE
should have at the very minimum not
less than 1000 seaplanes ready for
duty on the Atlantic coast and an
equal number on the Pacific; 5000 on
each coast would he better" On the
fifth OF hast February the aerial coast
patrol commission, OF which / have
the honor TO be chairman. wrote to the
president, stating. among other things,
that 1000 aeroplanes along u Allan
tic coast would increase the efficiency
of our coast protection 200 to 300 per
cent.
Second-We need an efficient air
patrol Of every mile Of u Mexican
frontier, a line four times as long as
the present European western battle
front. Had there been a dozen avia-
tors and ~serviceable planes at Column
bus when villa made his raid he would
have beer located and captured within
a week.
Third-We need anti-air craft de-
fenses for our great cities. There
should be immediate and energetic ac-
ton to protect our great cities from
the possibility of almost Understandable
destruction from air raids. Paris fur
nishes a good example of such de-
lenses. These defenses include num-
erous expert aviators with swift arm
ed aeroplanes; numerous anti-air
craft guns capable OF throwing a shell
four miles into the air, mounted in
aud around the city, some of them on
cars that can be transferred rapidly
on The city electric lines; numerous
powerful searchlights 20 cover the air
above the city with a network of light;
sensitive micrOphones TO detect the
sound of an approaching propeller
the whole system connected by tele-
phone and wireless with controls in
secret underground chambers like the
mine easements of a fortified harbor
These are the three principal items
il immediate permanent air equip
ment. In addition to these We neeC
seaplanes for the use of our fleets al
sea and aeroplanes for our coming
great army.
one thing should be recognized anC
borne constantly in mind that Will,
this immediate air preparedness is fol
a present military emergency, the mon
ey and effort expended ON our all
service will all count toward a greaI
peace air service-towards the com.
mercial air development which is sure
~ coming Ut the close Of the war anC
in which the United States. the mother
of the flight. should have no difficult
ty With her resources aud inyentiv,
geniuses in securing and retaining su.
Ipremacy. This peace air service
means the carrying of mails, the trans
portatiou OF passengers and express
material, the life saving patrol Of GU
coasts, with a speed. thoroughness anC
cheapness, far beyond our present
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