New Britain herald., 1918-08-28
RYAN SUPREME IN
 AERO DEPARTMENT
Made Second Assistant Secretary
 Of War for Air Service

1 Washington, Aug. 28.-Swiftly upon 1 tho heels of the disclosures made in 1 the Senate Military Committees report 1 on the army aircraft investigation an ] nouncement was made late yesterday 1 by Secretary of War Baker of the se- l lection of John D, Ryan to act as Sec l Ond Assistant Secretary of War, with l full responsibility over the armys air 1 service.
 At the same time Benedict C. Cro- we'll, First Assistant Secretary of War, 1 is intrusted with the munitions pro- 1 gram.
 Although the official statement re- 1 fers 10 MT. Crowell as "Director Of Munitions" and MT. Ryan as "Director ] of Air Service" the changes virtually established separate organizations 1 each under direct control of one man. MT. Ryan will act as Second Assist ant Secretary of War in place of Ed ward R. Stettinius, who is now in France, and who will remain there in definitely as special representative of the war department with plenary powers. MT, Ryan will not only have supervision, control, and direction of the Bureau of Aircraft Production, of which he himself has been the direc- tor, but also over the Bureau of NIili- tary AerOna uttCs, of which Maj. Gen. Willia am l.. Kenly is chairman.
 Secretary Baker made it plain that the changes announced were being in stituted with the full concurrence of President Wilson. It is the presidents answer to the recommendation of the Thomas report on the aircraft investi- gation for the creation of a Depart ment of the Air to unify the nations air activities. who would be a menl- Der of the Cabinet equal in rank and power to the secretary of war.
 Bakers Statement
 Here is the text of Secretary Bakers announcement
 with the concurrence of the Presi- dent, I have today selected John D. Ryan to act AS Second Assistant Sec retary of War in the place of Edward R. Stettinius, who is now in France. MT. Stettinius will continue the spe- cial representative of the War Depart ment in France, with full power to carry out special missions with which he is charged, and will exercise as such special representative all the powers he has heretofore had.
 John D, Ryan, as second assistant
 
 service and is charged with the re- sponslbtlitY of procuring and furnish- ing to the army in the field ma terial and personnel required for the air service, and is given supervision, control and direction over the bureau of aircrafH production and the bureau of military aeronautics with full power completely to coordinate their aCtivi- ties and to develop and carry out the air program. Mr. Ryan will select a new head for the bureau of aircra it production.
 Benedict C. C'rowell, First Assistant Secretary of War. is specially in trusted with the responsibility for the munitions program. and as Director of munitions is given the necessary power to see that the munitions re- quired for our military operations are procured and furnished to the army in the field.
 MT. KeppeI retains the duties here 1 tofore assigned him.
 The new relation umed by MT. 1 Stettinius is in pursuance of q plan 1 fully discussed with him before he 1 went to Europe and with which he is l in full accord"