The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-03-19
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81 E PUT INTO
eV1IAH HANDS
GeneraI Sauier to Lose Con-
troll Of Production,
By c. W. GILBERT.
vsskisrton Correspondent Of the New
York Tribune

WASHINGTON. March lo-A dras-
I Nc reorganization Of aircraft pfodue-
Hon will take place in lew days
Control over production will pass en-
sirely, or at any rate largely. out oi the
hands of General Squef. II is not pos
able 10 make thfs rawmert more def
mite becausa the details Of the coming
change, have not been completely
worked out
In addition. the whole subject oi air
craft production ~ 10 be thoroughly ~
vestignted by the committee of three
OF which n Snowden Marshall Is
chairman. The appointment ct thm
committee followed the disclosure tn
the senate military affairs committee
that only tenth oi the airplanes
which had been promised by this crgf'-
try for service on the western front
early this spring would be ready IN the
first Of April But the request Tor an
investigation came from Howard Cot
fin sf the aircrai, production board,
himmh. He laid the matter before the
president and prompt and vigorous ae-
tion has come from the war department,
which has shown in this case a degree
OF energy entirely lacking when the m
efficiency IN the ordnance and quarter
master general bureaus was disclosed
The situation with respect to air
. planes is like the situation with respect
)ntSo ordnance when General Crorler was
n the head Of the ordnance bureau. A
military organization again has shown
its iucapzcity to meet an industrial
situsfion. How nlhth the fault - due
10 General Squier and how much Il IS
due TO the military system is not clear,
but II Is plain that civilian control ~
aircraft production is necessary Il the
nations hopes OF becoming a great lac
tor m the air are 10 he realized.
[. To what extent aircraft production
has been under pure military control
has rot generally been understood BY
the public. The prominence OF civilians
like Howard Coffin in he aircraft pro-
duction board have suggested civilian
control But the board has been purely
advisory. The real authority over the
airplane program has been in the hands
OF General Squir representing the army
, and Admiral Taylor representing the
navy, Since the air program Is largely
m army program the authority OF Gen
eral Squier has been most important.
Not only is the real authority IN the
hands OF military and naval chiefs, but
besides General Squier and Admiral
Taylor an army and navy officer has
sat ON the board, which by reason OF the
delay OF the president filling two civil
Ian positions has been predominantly
military and naval.
So, in spite cf the general belief to
The contrary, the making OF airplanes
has sievolved as nuh upon the perup-
neuf bureaus hert as has tue making
of guns the function OF the ordnance
bureau.
The organization was bad-two bu-
reau chiefs, with a partly civilian
board as their advisers. The board had
no power over contracts. II had no
authority over engineering II could
not act except under the direction OF
lis military and naval chiefs Response
bility was hard to place. for though the
board had nothing to do with contracts,
il was supposed to stimulate produc-
tion.
Moreover, the military system has
had another bad effect upon the air pro-
gram. There have been constant changes
In the military personnel Of the aircraft
production board General SquicT
would assign an officer as member
of the board or to work with 1t ant
the man would hardly learn his new
duties before he would be ordered Il
France and another man would have Il
begin the process Of learning Not onl
were military men dealing with one o
the most difficult industrial problem
before the country, the creation of a ne,
industry, but they were CONSTANT
changing military men.
The delay in producing airplanes ha
not been due, however, entirely TO tn
fault of organization. Even had thei
been a production board with authorit
and headed by a single capable exec
tive the result would have been four
10 fall short o, promises In the fir
place, the board promised too muc
General Squier is long on enthusiast
Il Mr.. Coffin is also inclined to take
\ rosy view Of what he has TO do.
fse In the next place manufacturing di
ficuIiies that could not have been for
iseen interiered. Labor troubles we
encountered as consequence OF t
laclof labor policy on the part of t
administration Like every other !
dustSy, the Airplane industry suffer
5S from the transportation difficulties
the last winter. But still when allo
ance is made for all these factors I
war department is said TO be satisii
with airplane building for the futu
will not 20 forward as fast as it shou
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