Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-03-05
The Production of Aero
craft and Filters Far Be-
yond the Estimates, and
Uncle Began at the Very
Beginning-Harry Hunts
Sixth, War Information
Article.
Dy Harry Il. u

Washington, March 5.-The most
ambitious program Of war work un-
dertaken by the United States was
that of securing for the. allies over
whelming superiority in airplanes and
aviators. Also, it was the program
! which inspired greatest public
thusiasm and confidence. Tho posi-
| bilities such a program offered for
fastening victory, by carrying the
battle over the Hindenburg line and
Unto the very heart of Geri1lany, stir
red.the spirit OF Germany, stirred the
spirit of the country as nothing else
has done.
But since passed a $64o,-
OOO, 900 emergency aviation approprl-
alton, the public generally has heard
| little as to what VIC have been doing
to make good the aviation job we set
out to do. ss-ze.s o.. s.-sq,, ..>.
The necessity for secrecy as to our
aviation program and the steps AIKEN
toward it's accomplishment is more
imperative than with n other
branch of our war work. To an
nounce Just what we are aiming at in
the development of our air forces
would be to forewarn Germany both
as to the particular nature of the
aerial warfare we purpose to wage
against her and the strength with
which it is to be waged. ForeWarned
she would be foreafmed, and the task
Of our lighters Of h sky would be
Increased both, in ana
d%angers.aH So a,: ..ss ,%s.i
This story originally included a
statement of our aviation program of
last July, and that program as it had
been expanded up to February !, 1918.
1T told the number of planes of Vari-
Gus types delivered or under order,
the schedule for the delivery OF the
| different types by months, the produc-
tion to date ard the monthly SEIZED
uled production Of Liberty motors and
the numbers and types of planes we
are securing in Europe: as. =,
This matter was ruled gains bs
the CHIEF military censor and tne
signal corps censor, and a been de-
lcted from the story.
1T would have given the American
t public more exact information as u
: our aviation status than anything ye'
Unpublished.
a. But it might also have given Ger
+ many the very clue she needed to plar
her aerial defense. Even with thesf
s%pecifc figures out, however, there stu
!, remains enough that can be told II
| form a sound basis upon which Il
fudge. n &
:. months ago, the United States had ;
> 1 JOldl VI u " H'o'
! ond class types, and ofhcefS ana me
LIN the aviation section numbered onl.
a few hundreds.
} There was in this country only on
aeroplane plant OF any magnitude
t There were about ten smaller plants
l principally engaged in work OF az
l experimental nature, m"anutacturlhl
everything by hand.
The total flying time of ali arm
aviators in the whole year before tn
L war was less than 1000 hours.
: Today, only ten months later. W
have more than two score plan
plants, of which, half + great shop
h involving the Investment of more tina
r a million dollars each.
Fifteen great engine companies al
cehtering their efforts on the produe
ton of aviation motors. , .
And more than 400 factories. ar
engaged in turning out special aero
ulauc parts and aviation equipment
III During the year prior to April
19l7, we; ordered for army purpose
366 aeroplanes: But the best we wei
able to get from the total availab
= %aeroplane producing capacity Of tt
9 country in hat year WAS "a machines
In the last ten months the deliver
~ of planes has run into the thousand
!. and our new resources for plane PR
y Il duction are just getting we'll und,
way.
"a Instead Of a few hundred men
the aviation service, there arc tods
!. over 100 times what there were at tt
outbreak of war.
LastaApril we had one new and tv
old flying fields. with limited faciliti'
for handling men and machines. u
day we have a score of great aviatic
fields, each,provided with barracks II
thousands Of men and hangers f
hundreds OF machines. At one
these camps alone a few days al
some 3 5tmachines we're in fight In
single day and that days flying at tn
one camp represented S57 flying hou
or more than the total flying time
our whole aviation service In the 81
tire year before the war. ts
The distance covered by the file
at this single camp that day was mo
than $4,000 miles-twice around 7
world!
We are today sending complet
airplanes. and aviators to France
take up their part in the war. II
men In our aviation units now abrol
snusnter many thO4sands,. and u
number graduated from our fiyii
schools is greater than the total
!either side OF the western front
action III Any one day.
Manys more Thousands are W,
along Ii their training and will So