Evening star., 1918-08-23
The Aircraft Report.

sthat the American aircraft production
program was badly managed during
.5the early stages. as set forth in the
Senate subcommittee report, there is
.sdistinct reinsurance as to the future,
ssindeed as to the performances of sew
eral months. The findings of the sub
committee are along the line Of gen
eral expectation. There is little rea
.,,son for surprise that mistakes were
made in the early stage of the air
sscraft development work. The really
surprising fact of the case is that more
were not made Yet this does not con-
done the faults committed, which, in
s.the larger analysis of the case, are
= chiefly TO be set down to desire to
achieve the ideal, without sufficient re-
gard for the importance of immediate
accomplishment. So
This aircraft program record will
not be complete until the Department
of Justice inquiry, now being con-
,,dueted by Mr.. Hughes, has been con-
cluded. The public waits upon that
with even greater interest than it has
upon the findings Of the Senate COM
mittee. Mr.. Hughes inquiry is aimed
at the uncovering of whatever crimi-
nality there may have been in the let
:, ting and execution of aircraft con-
:. tracts. The hope is that there
was none. The assurance is that if
any existed it will be found and pun
ished ). 1
In the main the mistakes noted by
the Senate committees report were
those of judgment. Excessive profits
may have been reaped by manufac-
turers, but the material point is as to
the waste Of time rather than money
in the organization of an aircraft pro-
duetion industry in this country upon
= large scale.
II must be always remembered that
the United States, with all its warn
ing, was uuready for war, that even
in the readjustment incident to the
manufacture Of munitions on a large
scale for the allies there was no pro-
vision for airplane construction in
quantity, and that our aircraft indus
s.try had. almost to be created. Had
there been better organization at the
top from the beginning, with more dis
ss.tinct definition of authority, many of
the mistakes now disclosed would
doubtless have been avoided.
The money that was expended with
Geut practical result, some $640, 1000, 900,
may be regarded in one sense as the
price paid for experience. Il the sub
sequent program went forward more
surely and moro speedily. in eonse-
quence Of this experience the price
may possibly be regarded as not too
high. If no result came from the mis-
takes and needless expenditures the
waste was absolute.
Above all. however, it is to be held
.in mind by the public that the air
craft program is now progressing sat
-isfactoriiy. that our. industry has been
sorganized, that planes are going over
in quantity and that whether the ma
chimes now being used by our troops
areof American or foreign design they
arc efficient. Doubtless much Of the
sdelay and the fruitless expenditure
was due to an entirely laudable desire
to produce q distinctly American plane.
But the United States does not need
the prestige Of bringing new me-
chanicaf element into the war. It has
selready written a glorious record in
The raising and Transporting of, an
army that is now recognized as sup
plying the deciding factor of the con-
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