The sun., 1918-05-30
AMERICA HAS
1916 PLANES
AT THE FRONT
5.O76 Have Been Placed in
Service Here and Abroad.
Army Report Shows.
MANY MORE ON THE WAY
Representative Anthony Says
Hughes Will Find No Graft
in Programme.
MANY MORE ON THE WAY
spscioi DespsseA 10 Tas scu.

spscdol DsspsseA 10 Tas suu.
WASHINGTON. May 20. Facts COM
rnunicated to the Military Committee by
cf,ceU of the Signal Corps and made
public In the consideration Of the S1.,-
ooo,ooo,ooo army Dill make It possible to
rm up the situation a. It exists to-day
regarding production OF airplanes. their
ooN and shipment overseas Summarize
the facts show:
OF the $4,000 airplanes called for in
the original programme adopted almost
year ago there have been completed
and put in service 5.076 machines.
OF this number $3.50 have been made
and put together here and are still in
this country. Most Of them arc training
planes.
The rest have been constructed abroad
and are now with Gen. Pervhing's army.
These machines were made in foreign
factories. but largely Of American mate
rial
OF the l.3ls machines in France 3:3
are combat planes.
Deliveries Of Liberty Motor.
Deliveries OF the Liberty engines up
70 date are:
For the army. 561: to the navy. $50
Total delivered. 1901: TO foreign Gov
ernnents. 800. A total Of 5000 Liberty
motors have been ordered by Great Brit.
ain. Average price Of planes. $4,000
Price OF Liberty engines. $3.50 to S5.-
900. Total cost Of planes and engines.
from $500 to $4,000.
NJ oie L.
vice. one month.
Rate Of deliveries in last week Of
April was: For planes. 40 primary
training planes. 10 advanced training
planes. combat planes.
For Liberty engines. 241 primary train
ing engines. los advanced training en-
gines. se combat enginea
This rate OF production 10 slowly but
steadily increasing.
The total expenditures and obligations
made In connection with the aviation
service Is now $sss.s3s. 900.
1900 F'ssess Are Abroad.
There are to-day in the armies Of the
United States s..ll flying Officers and
s,364 non-nying Officers. OF the flying
ofIcers there were on May I 1909 abroad
and 1906 In this country. OF the nom
fiers 1854 were abroad and $500 In
this country.
For the 1868 niers abroad there are
1876 machines. or less than one machine
per man. compared with . requirement.
according to latest revised calculations.
OF Elk machines per man. or q total for
1909 fiiers Of s,o54 machines.
There are 2.ss3 cadets at the flying
schools In this country and 2.044
abroad. a total Of b.937.
Statements made to the House COM
mttee show that for the past three
weeks a considerable number OF air
planes have been shipped on practically
every vessel leaving this country, so
that the ratio between the number Of
fiers and machines II rapidly being
overcome
No Graft, Anthony says.
A prediction that Charles E. Hughes
will find no graft in the War Depart
situation and praise for MaJor-Gen.
Leonard Wood were outstanding features
Of the House debate to-day on the
army appropriation bill. Representative
Anthony (Kansas). a member Of the
Military Committee. said that tho War
Department had made mistakes In the
production OF aircraft. but that no graft
had oeen perpetrated. He said:
Charles f. Hughes. as director Of
the Governments investigation into air
craft, will be sent on . Wild goose chase
II he goes on hunt for graft BY any
man In the War Department. Omcers
In the Department are not that kind OF
men They may mako mistakes OF
Judgment sometimes. but they are not
grafters"
Mr.. Anthony said the chief cause Of
delay In airplans production for hve Or
six months was indecision and expert
mentation.
rs 1t not a fact" asked Representa-
tive Gordon (Ohio), that II required
some time also to locate and build
The great mistake" Mr.. Anthony
replied. was that the Government did
not take advantage Of existing factortss.
For example. the Curtiss factory after II
had spent some time sQuippins for pro-
duction Of q certain type OF plane was
suddenly stopped
was that stop order not Issued on
the advice Of Gen. PershingT' Mr.. Cor.
don asked.
Il don't care whose order Il was"
said Mr. Anthony. 1T was . fatal
blunder. Conditions now. however. are
much improved. Ny undertaking y
that production OF aircraft u now
coming along In good shape"
GREAT BEAR sP1JN0 WATI8.
rats Purity Has 1ads u vsnsuA"-1St