The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-04-10
Senate Committee Charges
Slow Progress in Program.
A Complete Reorganization Is
Recommended.
PROCRASTINATION AND DELAY
Progress Has Been Misrepre-
sented, Says Committee.
Very Few Student AyiatOrs in
Advanced Training Stage.

Washington, April 10.-Charging
that government officials have mis-
represented the progress of he avia-
ton program and '-misled the pub
| hc,' the senate military affairs COM
| lnittee today demanded the aircraft
production be taken out of the hands
of the signal corps and given to lone
executive officer appointed by the
president and responsible to him.
| The committee. thru Senator Cham
berlain, its chairman, today filed with
the senate a report on its recent
searching investigation OF the whole
aviation program. Its recommended
tions in brief are:
! l. Take aircraft production out of
the hands of the signal corps and give
/ it to one man.
2. Surround this man with "a corps
of the best aircraft engineers, both
European and American
8. Get an immediate supply of the
best types of European aircraft and
engines, while we are developing our
own.
development.
8. Make broad plan and policy for
the future.
Liberty Motor Yet an Experiment.
/ The committee recommended that
the one-nan administrator be ap-
pointed by the president and assisted
by a corps of expert engineers and
designers 1t suggested that mo man
who has any near or remote interest
in company manufacturing air
tplanes or engines should be permitted
to act as adviser or be in authority"
The Liberty motor, the committee
declared is -.just emerging from the
development or experiment stage"
and lis not designed for and cannot
be used in the swift single-seated
Fsrrs-t <,Jrrx
n ~ or ~22, SOC Liberty motors ordered,
the committee said, only 122 have
been completed for the army, 142 for
the navy and four shipped overseas.
Delay in Training Flyers. Too.
The production of Liberty motors
to date is, of course, gravely "disap-
pointing" says the report. Govern
| 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. In
formation of this sort, not borne out
by tire facts, has been injurious, and
, its constant dissemination the com
mittee regards mislea ding and detri-
mental to our cause
Regarding the training of aviators
the committee found there has been
very serious delay in providing their
with training planes. As a result. the
report says, several hundred of the
American cadets have been practically
idle and have, made no progress"
Advanced Training for Very Few
With four new schools under con.
struction to be finished in June the
: committee said the signal corps is now
/ conducting twenty aviation trair1ins
schools in this country with a tota
capacity of 5000 cadets. Graduate.
/ have numbered 1926, commissioned a.
reserve military aviators. but very
four
training.
With the exception of what the
I committee referred to as a severe
disappointment" the primary trafnins
of aviators was said to appear to b.
progressing favorably Fatalitie.
| from accidents, the COMMITTEES said
4 were distressing but appear to be les.
! frequent than in the schools of ouI
allies
Recent Increase in Production
e In recent weeks. however," the re-
$ port said, the output has been great
n ly increased and there seems to be nt
: doubt of the signal corps having a,
: amply sufficient number in the future
s On April 1. 3,45S primary trainin,
e planes had been completed of tw'
q standard types. In advanced trainin,
= planes four types are being made tn
Il total number to date manufactured be
ing 342. In these planes three type
: of engines (all of foreign design bu
e American manufacture will be used
y of which 965 have been completed
: Delay in Combat Planes.
e The production of combat plane
= has thus far been Substa ntial failur
= and constitutes a most serious disap
= pointment in our war preparations
y We had no design OF our own: neithe
did we adopt any one of the Europea
designs, until months after entere
g the war. Much time was consumed i
n discussion as to types; innurrrabl
e changes in design and specification
e have cost further delay. In all, fiv
o types have at one time or anothe
o been adopted Two of them have bee
l. abandoned after exnen diture of muc
i. time and money. The three remain
1t ing types still left are now in cours
s. of manufacture
Ie Pro<rastir,ation on a Big Plane.
The largest and most powerfr
Handley-Paee bombing machine. th
: committee stated. is to be driven Q
- two liberty motors and Will carry 81
'i men. eight machine guns and heav
= load of bombs.
'e THE history of negotiations for I'll
II adoption and manufacture Of tn
plane afford remarkable illustrate
of procrastination and indecision to
- long to recite" the report said
- Designs of this plane, which ha
been used with marked success by til
British, were offered to our oficia
as early as May, 1911 The sign;
rs lcorps finally decided upon manufa'
e lture of parts about January 1. 191
OF Officials testify that they do not e,
1e pect completion of the first set
a. parts in this country before Jun
1918"