Weekly journal-miner., 1918-01-09


 balance of power needed to win the war.
 The worlds strategists have agreed that the war is to be decided in the air, in favor of the side which has supremacy of the air; and it is agreed that the United States most impor- tant contribution is to be the con tribution of tens of thousands of avia- tors and aeroplancs.
 To get these tens of thousands of aviators and aeroplanes and to carry out the aerial program now under way there is needed an appropria- ton for aeronautics of not less than S2,000,0O0000. This appropriation is needed immediately and if given, will make it possible to utilize many manufacturing resources now prac- tically idle and produce from 5O,OOO to 100000 aeroplancs year here after.
 The sum of not less than $500 000000 is needed to build 10000 large w al DldlCS anu tHudi hN train the crews and put them into operation and form the Emergency Air Fleet recommended by the Aero Club of America at its annual meet ing, in accordance with the following resolution adopted at the meeting:
 Whereas, the greatest difficulty of the allies has been to move their forces fast enough to meet unexpect- cd German attacks on weak points ot the allied lines, and to overcome ths advantage which the Germans have of being able to transport large bod ics of troops, ammunition, and sup plies from one part to another by interior lines; and,
 Whereas, it is evident that power ful war planes afford the needed com bination of power and mobility in higher degree than do any other ap- plianccs: and,
 Whereas, it IS generally accepted by the recognized authorities on aero nautics that acroplancs can easily be built which can fly across the Allan tic and thereby solve the problem of delivering large units of aeronautlC power to England, France, Italy and Russia. without dependence on ocean transportation, or interfering with 1t; and,
 Whereas, these acroplanes can conduct major aerial operations against the German fleet and U-boai bases, as we'll as against the German lines of communication and military industries and forces;
 Be it resolved, that there facts be brought to the attention of the President, the Council of National Defense, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of Navy, the Aircraft Pro duction Board and to the American public, through the press, and that the coming congress be urged to cx- pand the present acronautical pro- gram by appropriating not less than Sl OO,OOO,O0O for building an 'emcr- gcncv air fleet of huge warplancs and also appropriate OOO.OOO,OOO to carry out a comprehensive aero nautic program of training aviators and building the tens of thousands of fighting, photography, artillery and contact patrol acroplancs; dirigibles and balloons, which arc needed to as sure the Allies supremacy in the air.
 This Emergency Air Fleet, support cd by the fullest program that can be carried out in every other branch of military preparedness would not only put the fear of God in the Ger man heart, but would bring victory to the allies in the minimum length of time, and probably cut down this costly and horrible war by a num- Der of years.
 If thousand huge war planes oi the transatlantic size could be sent to strike at Kicl, Essen, Wilhclms- haven. Frankfort and other important German naval and military bases, each dropping ton or more ot eN- plosivcs over these German sources oi military weapons, the Germans would be forced to take from their lines thousands of acroplancs and aviators and anti-aircraft guns for the propcction of every German bas. and city of importance and that would weaken their forces on the