The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-12-09
SQUIER PRAISES U. S.
WORK ON AIRPLANES
Many Difficulties Overcome
Before Quantity PrOduc-
ton Resulted.
LIBERTY MOTORS LAUDED
Personnel Increased From
1862 to 173.854-Expenses
Were S373,00O,OOO.
Special Despatch 10 The suS.

Specidi Despatch 10 THE suS.
WASHINGTON. Dec. S.-Partial ex-
PLANTATION OF the facts in the early
production OF airplanes during the war
which led to the investigations by a
subcommittee OF the Senate Military
Committee and by Charles f. Hughes
Is made in the annual report OF the
Chief Signal Officer Of the Army, made
public to-day.
Major-G George Squier. who
signed the report. first pointed out
that the almost complete lack OF
knowledge OF aerial matters in the
United States at the time 1t entered
the war was one of the greatest diff
culties to overcome. Long years of
neglect OF aeronautics since the eX-
ploits of the Wright brothers found
the United States with only handful
of filters and few training machines
The first move was an appeal to the
French. British and italian Govern
ments to send to the United States
their most expert trained fliers. aero
nautical engineers and designers who
could be spared This plea was COM
piled with in a short time.
An arrangement was made with
Canada whereby designs for flying
nelds were to be sent here and Amer
lean cadets 10 hasten their training
were sent to Canadian. British, French
and italian fields, Ten squadrons not
only were trained by the British. but
equipped with planes and sent 10 the
western front.
Increase of Filters in United States,
Growth in the flying personnel OF
the army until aviation was taken
from the Signal Corps and made a
separate division was shown by Gen.
Squier in the following table:
AD I'll, l. NAY ,s,, 81 y pTe.
Enlisted me ,''.,..... 1865 ,i ? ;s ssS
IlViIian employees. 20 gsss 1850
incidentally Gen. Squier pointed out
that the ratio OF deaths among the
American fliers was less than the ratio
among fliers of the Allies. One hun
dred and siXty-seven such deaths oc-
CURED, or one to every l47,S4O miles
of recorded flight
The greatest thing done in the last
year, the report said, has been the Gre
plying the needs of the future for air.
craft and accessories. There are $50
concerns in this line, employing 200 900
men and women.
one serious mistake, which the AL
lies had fallen into" the report said
was the development OF a multiple
ity of types of engines and planes. As
a further consequence tho trained per-
sonnet TO operate and repair the ma
chimes had grown so that from thirty
to fifty men were required to keep
each plane in the air on the firing
line.
ITO obviate the same error the fol-
lowing policy was followed:
'a) To fill up all vacancies N
allied flying schools with the maxi
mum number which could be accom-
modated to gain time in training our
fiiers while our schools were being
built.
(b) The purchase from France of
all combat planes which the French
could possibly spare to supply our
forces overseas pending the time our
own construction of battle planes
could be developed. This was done
and raw materials and even mechan-
les were furnished by the United
States.
(c) To establish schools and build
flying fields for training aviators in
this country.
I'D To provide training planes to
train aviators in this country.b
Cc) To build such types of battle
planes in this country as the needs
OF our army at the front should ind,
cate and supply such additional avia-
ton equipment as was required for
overseas use.