The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1918-08-25
PERSH|NG CRITICISED IN
AIRCRAFT INQUIRY
GENERAL kENLY WAS VERY
POINTED IN HIS TESTIMONY
BEFORE COMMITTEE

Washington, Aug. 2i.-America's
aircraft program for the great army
that is counted upon to win the war
next year calls for $50 complete
squadrons of planes, and the man part
of the program already is ahead of
schedule with three thousand pilots
trained.
This information, given by Major
General Kenly. chief OF the division Of
military aeronauties and many other
facts hitherto held secret we're dis
closed today when the senate military
committee made public testimony
taken behind closed doors during
three months of investigating Jy the
aviation sub committee headed By
Senator Thomas of Colord ID.
General Ken,y told til, committee
thore now are thirteen American
ae-uplane senadrons of 27e machines
nav Farce whereas tn sre should
be 17F equaGrons.
William {. otter, assistant director
of aeroplane production said General
I'ei shing had called for $500 planes
by July /, 1918 and has oeen told ii
was hoped to deliver $4,000 to 10000
This would meet replacement ne
mands of squadrons In the field
c. w. Nash, former presided, of the
Nash Motor company, and now assist-
ant to Mr.. Ryan in engineering gave
as his opinion that nothing but De
liayiland machines could be delivered
before next January and IL 10000 ar
roplanes were delivered by next July
it would be almost a miracle"
General Kenly and other officers
in fact all of the witnesses apparently
gave their statements with what Sen
ator Reed characterized at one stage
as brutal frankness," all being ex-
amined secretly and apparently with
cut considering the possibility of the
publicity now given.
Personal criticisms were voiced with
freedom An example is found in Gen
eral Kenly's examination concerning
General Pershing's call for aeroplanes
. In response 10 questions General
: Kenly spoke of what he would do II
he were in charge at home and abroad,
and added:
IF you look over the cables-you
would find cable from overseas asks
for one thing one day, and the next
day countermands the order, and then
the next day asks for it again, and
| a week later countermands it,"
There is no real friction between
the army and navy, General Kenly told
the committee except "a very strong
!, feeling that the navy sometimes Is
! getting more than It's share"
i General kenly and other officers
confirmed reports that General Persn-
ing stopped manufacture of Spad ma
chimes last year and recently had
criticized several of the DeHavland
models forwarded.
4 In outlining next years program
sent In by General Pershing, Witnesses
told the committee that General
lPershing was advised that in trying to
! get $4,000 or 10000 machines deliv-
cred by next July, the authorities "arc
I aiming rather high" A squadron in
the aviation service, it was explained,
NORMALLY consists Of Is flyers, but they
/ usually have 81.
During Secretary Bakers examina-
ton. he was sharply questioned re-
lgarding airplane photographs distri-
buted by the committee on public in
| formation with which the secretary
/ conceded were exaggerated" captions,
During the tilt, Senator Reed, of Mis-
souri,. referred to Chairman George
Creel as "a licensed liar intending to
i, mislead the public.