The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-07-30
new Department
Failure of Haviland Plane
BOOms Air Ministry.
Senators Believe One Man
Should Have Charge.
FLYERS OPINIONS REJECTED
Airmen Protested Against the
HaviIand Machine.
Notifying Officers Went
Ahead Over Protests.
FLYERS OPINIONS REJECTED

Washington. July 30.-A new de-
mand for an air ministry to manage
the country's aircraft program bobbed
up in congress today.
II thing the air service has come
to be of such vast Importance that it
iustifies the creation of a new cabinet
position" said Senator Reed, Missouri
member of the senate aircraft iHves-
tigating committee. which is soon to
issue report on the whole aircraft
situation.
Give One Man Full Power.
Some one man should have plenary
powers. He ought to be surrounded
by a staff of the most skillful aero
nautical engineers and the greatest
practical flyers and some men who
know all about manufacturing without
being in the aircraft business"
While Reed emphasized that he was
speaking only for himself, other
members of the committee agreed the
evidence before them justified the
action recommended.
Reeds statement closely follows
the charges that the De Haviland four
plane is not a success.
Altho he does not refer directly to
the De Haviland plane he declares
that commissions in this separate
service ought to be granted to men
who have shown the greatest skill and
should not find put over them cav
airy and artillery officers"
Non-FIyers OVERRIDE Flyers.
Part of the De Haviland charges, it
developed today, are that Notifying
officers and men in charge of produc-
ton insisted on continuing the turning
out and shipment of the De Haviland
plane over the strenuous objections of
the flyers themselves.
Many members of the senate inves-
tigating committee are not ready to
declare the De Haviland a total fail
ure, however.
Washington, July 30.-"I won't dis
cuss the airplane situation in any way
whatsoever"
In that terse fashion, Secretary
Baker dismissed all efforts to find out
the official view of the situation re-
garding the De Haviland appliances
Americas one bet in aircraft for bat
tie purposes for the time being as far
as machines manufactured in this
country are concerned. The war sec
rotary said, at first, he had not read
the news stories that General Pershing
and the American aviators on the 9TH
er side had found the De Haviland As
wanting and had in listed on "struc-
tural' changes being made before more
were sent to the other side. When
he was shown an account of the re-
ported complaints on the one plane
that America is producing in quaint
ties. he remarked: II have nothing to
say
sked If the production of De Havi-
laid AS would be held up until the
De Haviland 9-the improved and
changed plane-was ready for GUAM
tity manufacture or whether they
would continue to manufacture the As
until the improved planes were ready,
the secretary said: at is useless to
hA fT,rYT g.
going to say a word about airplanes."
Public Must Wait.
AS the war department makes the
official statements and John D. Ryan,
the production manager, and General
Henley, head of the operating division
on airplanes, are on their way to the
Pacific coast to look into the spruce
situation. the public which is entitled
to the truth of the airplane situation,
is apt to have to wait some time for
official confirmation or disproof of the
latest in the American air program
unless Mr.. Baker changes his mind.
There are two widely divergent
views here over the DeHaviland In
some quarters there is the disposition
to take the reports regarding the De-
HaViland as making a mountain out
of molehill. 1t is frankly admitted
that the DeHaviland 9 and possibly an
even further type, the 10, is coming
on. That was to be expected, for air
craft and air types develop so fast
constant changes were to be antici-
pated. Members of the senate commit
tee who have gone into the subject
however, take a serious view of the
situation. They are holding up their
report until they know the full charac-
ter of the changes and the extent of
military value of the DeHaviland l.
If the -DeHaviland 4 doesn't come UP
to military standards and necessitates
c no q
has reported, so that the military val
ne of the large number already pro-
duced is small. then it is a serious sit
uation, indeed. It means that the
American aircraft production program
to date is more of a disappointment
than even the most dismal howlers as
serted.