The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-04-20
PRODUCTION OF
Flames ON
VAST SCALE is
NATION NEED
Too Much Experimenting
Says Investigator of
the War Program
PLANTS READY
TO Do BUSINESS
Engines That Have Made
Good Can Readily Be
Manufactured Here
10y Frederick Upham Adams.)

10y Frederick Upham Adams.)
| New York City, April 20.-The in
vestigations, officials and personal,
Of aircraft production in recent
weeks bid fair to produce gratifying
| results, and are an added proof of
| the value OF unbiased publicity and
| constructive criticism. 1t Is now
| easily possible TO bring about an eff
fective reorganization of our air
craft program-One which will proc
ducs motors and planes by the thou
sands in place OF changed drawings
| and specifications In an endless
stream from signal corps headquar-
| ters.
There is a general impression that
the fate OF our aircraft program Is
linked with the success or failure Of
the Liberty motor, and there has
been keen disappointment over
developments and Official reports
which indicate that IL has fallen far
below the Washington predictions Of
last sumner. The merits and de-
merits OF the overvaunted Liberty
motors are not yet determined. Not
one of them has vet been completed
and tested according to the latest
specifications formulated by the
signal corps and the aircraft produce
ton board, but there is valid reas-
on for the prediction that under
practical management and a single
responsible head IL will speedily be-
come possible to bring about the
large production OF a motor which
will serve eXcellently in driving 81
high speeds some OF the types OF
planes urgently required on the bat
tlefronts,
Net . Mechanical Marvel.
The evidence is conclusive that the
Liberty motor is or can be made a
good aviation motor. It. is no me-
chanical miracle; IL Is not the great
est Industrial achievement in Amcri-
can history; but IL can be made 10
serve for many invaluable purposes
and months OF time and millions ~
dollars have not been wasted entire 3
through system OF engineering ant
production incapable Of any high de-
gree Of success.
Within a comparatively short TINA
provided a proper reorganization OF
motor production be eirected-n0t
less than 100 Liberty motors a day
should be delivered and shipped
abroad, and later this figure should
be more than doubled. These results
should have been attained months
ago-but that water has run past the
mill.
Our aviation success from a manu-
featuring standpoint, however, does
not depend on the relative success
OF the Liberty motor. For more than
year American companies have
been engaged in manufacturing on
a comparatively large scale the
Hispana-Sui motor-the aviation
In
which has done most 20 win for
French aviators their splendid suc-
cess. These motors are now being
manufactured in quantities in the
United States not only FOR our own
government but for France as wei.
other American plants for more
than a year have been making n
large number OF the parts Of the
Rolls Royce, the standard British
aviation model. one OF the best types
vet developed in any country. More
over the British factories which are
building Rolls-Royce motors in large
quantities are equipped largely with
American machinery and American
tools.
The official reason why the Liberty
motor was designed and Its large
production planned was that French
and British machines, as a rule, are
not adapted to American manufac-
turing methods. Tt would require y
year or more TO teach American
manufacturers 20 turn out such high
~ specialized machines"
What One Firm Has Done.
since that announcement. a single
American firm, the Wright Martha
Aircraft corporation, has turned out
more HiBpana.- Suiza motors than the
total Liberty motor production by All
the concerns which have been oper-
ating under contract with the gov-
eminent.
II has thus been demonstrated that
there existed a year or more ag0 mo
reason which should have operated 10
prevent American manufacturers
from copying and producing on "a
large scale the British and French
types Of aviation motors which had
already proved their worth IN combat
with the fine types Of aircraft used
BY the enemy We have been manu-
facturinn the EIispana- guiza for
France. and the Roils-Royce for
Britain. and in the meantime have
been attempting 20 design q type of
our own on the plea that American
manufacturers lacked the facilities or
the intelligence to copy British and
French models Of proved SUCCESS
Production experts 81 high rep1to
inform me that the Packard Motor
company could have built and Ship
ped not less than 5000 Rolls-Hogca
motors by this time in place cf
which they have not get bcguA %
produce Liberty motors iu anproei
able quantity. and with those feW
delivered stiH im the experimental
stage. There seems no reason "a
doubt that the Wright Martin Airs
craft corporation could haNe turned
ont am equal number Of tna unnues
flonahly excellent EiEpamaa &HiNa
motors By This time.
But it awaiia nothing go repiMs 1eeF
CconHnned on raEe ft.1