New-York tribune., 1918-03-27
Liberty Motors
A Big Success,
Experts Declare
They Insist u. S. Has Made
Great Strides in Aero
Construction
Output Is Increasing
Delay in Original Programme
Due to Divided Au-
thority
By Theodore NJ. knappen


WASHINGTON, March 26.-Admit-
ting that the airplane programme is
about sixty to ninety days behind time,
champions of the Aircraft Board and
the Signal Corps, as we'll as the naval
fling service were willing to-day to
maintain that great things have been
done after all. Complaints made by
Gutzon Borglum and others were rep
gerated.
1t was asserted that the success of
the Liberty motor is not open to chal-
lenge, that the Allies want thousands
of them and that all the initial difficult
ties have been disposed Of
The first stages of quantity produc-
ton have been reached, considerable
number of planes using the motor are
in serv ice and the output is increasing
from week to week. Those who are
familiar with what has been done are
quoted as saying that the trouble is not
that SO little has been done in fact as
that SO much was talked about, with the
effect of causing unwarranted expecta-
! tions. AT the same time it is admitted
that there was confident expectation Of
doing more than has been done.
Work Progressing Satisfactorily
The original plan contemplated the
completion of about $4,000 planes IN
the first year. Of these about 5000
were contracted for in France and Italy
About 5000 We're to be American built
training planes and about II 900 were
to be war machines Only part of
this programme will be realized in the
time set, but the end Of the first Year
will see the output proceeding at a very
satisfactory rate.
The responsibility for the delay is
divided and hard to locate In this con-
nectlon 1T is pointed out that the Air
craft Board has little more than ad-
not control contracts, accounts, produc-
tion or inspection. These four major
functions are exercised by the Signal
Corps for the army machines and by
the naval air service for the navy. It
is admitted, though, that all the delay
cannot be charged to the manufactur-
ers.
Country's Rapid Progress
Mr.. Hurley disclosed that despite de-
lays the country soon will have 73O
steel and wooden ways turning out
ships and that the governments man.
moth steel shipbuilding programme Of
100000 tons on March J. was % per
cent on its way to completion. This
does not mean that % per cent is in
the water, but that construction as a
whole had advanced that far. Eight
per cent Of the vessels actually has
been put into service, Mr.. Hurley said.
AS to the representation that the
Liberty motor planes will be only Of
the bombing type it is stated that
Liberty motors will go into every type
of plane except the single scatter the
manufacture Of which will be left to
the Allies. No American type plane
has been evolved though one will like
I ly be forthcoming later The three
general types are the two-seated fight
er the day bomber and the night
bomber
L. S. Has Done Its Share
1t is stated that the contract for
French and Italian machines was in
response to request from those
countries and that moreover, the AL
lies would have preferred to do all
the arplane manufacturing, the Ameri-
can contribution being confined to men
and material. AS it is, America be-
sides carrying out it's own extensive
programme, is now supplying the AL
lies with thousands of mechanics and
machnists and immense quantities of
airpane materials.
The training of the aircraft person.
mel is reported to be progressing very
satisfactorily, and is, in fact, far
ahead of the mechanical side.
The delay of aircraft production is
causing renewal of the suggestion that
an aircraft ministry should be created.
The present three-headed arrangement
is held to be unsound in itself, be-
cause authority and responsibility are
not centralized, and also because it
leaves chiefly in the hands of the mill
tary functions that are essentially
business matters and are capable of
being discharged much more satisfac-
torily by civilians than by military
officers.