The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-04-25
]. D. RYAN HEADS
AIRCRAFT BOARD
TO 0 SPEED 81 WORK
Baker Names Copper Mag
nate as Director Of Aerial
Production.
FOLLOWS FAILURE
OF FIRST EFFORTS
Investigators Report Utter
Collapse OF Program
Up to Present.

Washington. April a4.--Direc,ion OF
the army's great aircraft production
program has been placed in the hands
OF a civilian. John u. Ryan. copper
magnate, railroad man and fnancier.
Secretary Baker announced the step
tonight. disclosing at the same time a
reorganization OF the signal corps un-
der which the aviation section virtu-
ally Is divorced from the corps proper,
heretofore supreme on all questions.
With actual production turned over to
a civilian division headed by Mr. Ryan,
Brigndier General William l., Keniy
Is made chief OF n new division OF
military aelonautics. to control train
Ing or aviators and military use Of
aircraft.
Major General .Squier. chief signal
officer. will confine his activities In the
future TO the signal branch. Howard
Coffin, chairman Of the aircraft board
retires in favor OF Nh. Ryan. The air
craft board Itself. created by congress.
will continue as an advisory body
Throughout all the agitation over de-
lays and mistakes in getting quantity
production Of aircraft under way, all
critics have agreed the great fault lay
In tn" absence of concentrated con
troll. The power of Mr.. Coffin and
his board WAS subject to the signal
corps. z
Mr. Coffin himself made the only Of :
ficial romment on the reorganization.
He said:
The appointment OF single indi-
vidual with definite and adequate pow
er TO deal with all aspects OF army air.
craft production III n logical and neces-
sary step"
Appointment Follows Inquiry.
This organization. forecast at the
war department. since before the SEN
ate military committee made It's report
referring to the aviation program as n
"huniliating failure" follows n pre-
limnary report from a special commit.
tee of investigators appointed by
President Wilson. The report Is
known to have been submitted to Sec.
retary Baker soon after his return from
France.
I Assistant Secretaries Crowe,l and
Stettinius and Major General March
| acting chief OF staff. are understood
| to have worked out the new plan OF Or.
lganization. Mr. Croweil, as. acting
secretary. Is said TO have been read,
to aet without waiting for Mr.. Bakers
return II the report had been received
The authority given Mr.. Ryan cor,
responds to that given Charles NJ
Sehwab. as director general Of ths
emergency fleet corporation. lie ha'
1 the task OF speeding up production II
all Of the many plants working on air
craft for the army and is given ful
Ypower in that respect.
President Wilson IL said to have had
n hand. personally in the selection. Mr.
Ryan IL now president Of the Ana,
conda Copper company. the United
Metals Selling company, and the Mon
tana Power company. He In n di
rector Of many industrial enterprise,
ana banks and of the Chicago. MI
waukee and st. Paul railway.
Erigadier General Kenly. chief OF tn
new military aeronautics division. re
turned from France, where he ha'
charge OF aviation under Genera
Pershtng. He is colonel Of field ar
tiiiery In the regular army. but wa
detailed 10 direct aviation training o'
the Mexican border before the Unite,
States went to war. Soon after III
first expeditionary forces went over n
was sent to France apd given the ranl
Of brigadier general in the Nationa
Z, army. r5s szs gFAa .-gE