Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1918-09-07
WASHINGTON LETTER
Executive Department to Control
Air Craft Production
DEFINITE POLICY DESIRED
TO STRENGTHEN AIR SERVICE

Agitation for separate Executive
Department to control the production
of air craft has been brought to head
by Senator Harry S. New of Indiana.
MIR. New has introduced bill providing
for the creation of Department of
Aeronautics. The head>of the depart
ment is to be known as the Secretary
of Aeronautlcs, and is to be member
of the Cabinet. Complete control of
all matters pertaining to the design,
purchase, manufacture, and production
of aircraft for the Army, Navy, and
Marine Corps. is to be placed in the
hands of the new official by Mr.. News
bill. The unexpended balances of all
previous appropriations made for the
air service are to be available for the
purposes of the new department. The
Military Committee has been given
jurisdiction over the measure, and as
Senator New is member of that COM
mittee early action on it may be looked
for.
A VALUABLE CONFERENCE
The meeting of Republican State
Chairmen in Chicago is another indica-
ton of the get-together spirit that has
animated the ranks of the party
throughout the country. The meeting
is bound to give added force to the cam
paign to win in the fall elections. "A
full exchange Of ideas and counsel"
was declared to be the purpose of the
gathering, and the State chairmen,
upon whom will fall great part of the
burden and responsibility of the cam
paign, are sure to derive much benefit.
from association with their brothers
from other States.
DEFINITE POLICY DESIRED
The present policy of the Administra
ton in starving the so-called non-essen-
tial businesses by allowing them little
of this and little Of that should, in
the opinion of Representative Homer
P. Snyder of New York, give way to
something more definite, 1T would be
better" says he, Ito adopt some rule
whereby certain industries less essen
tial should be absolutely prohibited
from operating during certain
period" Of course the ship yards.
munition plants, and other Industries
essential to our war work must be sup
piled with labor, and there appears to
be no source from which to recruit it
except the non-essentials. That being
the case Mr.. Snyder maintains that 1t
would be fairer for the administration
to be frank with the people and with
labor so that the public may know def
nitely what industries may continue
and what will have to give way to the
greater need. The Congressman's
views are shared by many of his COL
leagues, who hope that some clear-cut
stand in the matter may be taken by
the President in the near future.
NO LEAK THIS TINE
Congressman John NJ. Rose of Penn
sylvania is convinced that the Bureau
of War Risk Insurance is not response
bic for disclosing information upon
which certain Washington attorneys
have sought contracts for the collection
of back pay of deceased soldiers. One
firm of lawyers in particular is known
to have written letters to surviving
relatives asking them to sign power
of attorney authorizing the collection
of back pay and the allowance of a
very substantial fee for so doing. 1t is
| evident that the authors of the letters
must have had information giving them
the addresses of parties interested, but
Mr.. Rose thinks that the casualty lists
as published each day contain the
| necessary data, and that the Bureau of
War Risk Insurance should not be
charged with a leak.