Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1918-04-11
DRASTIC SHAKE-UP
DEMANDED FOR
AIR PROGRAM
Government Official Report
Shows Aircraft Department
Has Fallen Down-Motor
Untried-Training Far Be-
hind and People Misled.
(By the Associated Press)

(By the Associated Press)
Washington, April 10.-The
governments aircraft program
is characterized as "gravely dis
appointing" and drastic reor-
ganization of production ma
chinery was recommended in a
report by the senate military
committee today, which charges
government officials with mis-
representing the situation and
misleading the public, and with
representation" and "indecis-
ion."
The prospects for the future,
the committee said, look more
favorable and the production of
the last few weeks promises to
get the program under way to
such an extent that a sufficient
number Of planes will be fur
nished later to meet all require
ments of our troops in France.
WANT ONE-MAN CONTROL.
One-man control of production is
proposed and the committee suggests
that building details be taken entire
ly out of the hands of, the signal
corps. Delay is charged not only in
the manufacture of liberty motors
and machine parts but in training of
flyers as we'll.
The committee recommends that
the one-man administrator be ap-
pointed by the president and assisted
by a corps sof expert: engineers and
designers. It is suggested that "no
man who has any near or remote in
terest in any company manufacturing
airplanes or engines should be per-
mitted to act as advisor or be in au-
thority."
LIBERTY MOTOR UNTRIED.
The liberty motor, the committee
said, is "just emerging from the de-
velopment or experimental stage" adm
"is not designed for and cannot be
used in the swift single-seated fight
ing machines OF 22,5OO liberty
motors ordered, the committee said,
only 1872 have been completed for the
army and 142 for the navy and four
shipped overseas.
PUBLIC MIsLED.
"The production of liberty motors
to date is, of course, gravely disap-
says the report. Govern
ment officials have. made the mistake
of leading the public and the allied
nations to the belief that many thou
sands of these motors would be COM
pleted in the spring of 1918. 1nfor-
nation of this sort, not borne out by
the facts, has been. injurious and its
constant dissemination the committee
regards as misleading and detri- |
mental to our cause"
TRAINING FAR BEHIND.
Regarding the training of the ca
dets, the committee found there has
been very serious delay Gin providing
them with training planes.''
"As result" the report says, "sev-
eral hundreds of American cadets |
have been practically idle and have
made no progress"
About twelve hundred cadets were |
sent to England, France and Italy
last year to receive primary and adj
vanced training.
"The experience of great many
Of these, men has been most unfor-
says the report, sin that at
some of the schools a delay occurred
in !: providing them with training
planes which it was expected would
be manufactured in foreign factories
in sufficient numbers. About four
hundred fifty of them are reported
as having completed the primary
training after long delay. The signal
corps is giving serious consideration
to the advisability of bringing the re-
mainder. back to. the United States"
ARREST ENEMY ALIENS
AT MILWAUKEEl