Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-03-05

be ready for service. overseas.
In addition to the work done in this
country to prepare our niers and pro-
vide their equipment. a vast amount
has been done abroad. EARLY last
summer, when it was decided that
Uncle Sam should undertake to pro-
vide Il great new aerial army, several
thousand mel were sent to Canada.
rance and England FOR immediate
training. We had at that time neither
the machines nor the flying fields nor
the qualified instructors to provide
training at home. These men are now
completing their training and are al
ready joining with Freitch and Brit
ish aFiators in flights over the enemy
lines.
To speed up III participation in the
aerial warfare against Germany. the
United States has utilized, during
these months of preparation in which
our own for aeroplane pro
duction were being developed, exist
ing facilities in France and England.
Orders for several thousand planes are
being filed for us in those countries.
After three years of warfare, dur
ing which thei man-poWer has been
Slapped by the tremendous drain OF
this World-conf1ict, these countries arc
better able to turn out planes from
their highly organized factories than
they are to supply in great numbe:s
the type of mon qualified to handle
those planes.
The United States, however, is a
great reservoir filled with keen, dar-
ing, determined young men OF the sort
that make good aviators. In supply
, ingeus these planes, our allies are not
depriying themselves of equipment,
but are simply turning over to US, who
! "a furnish fresh man-power. ma
chimes which they can. produce beyond
their ability to man.
The several thousand machines Wc
are securing abroad, however, arc a
very small part Of the machines under
contract. Our capacity for aerOplanc
I'production. now multiplied more than
100 times above that of a year ago, is
just entering the stage where rapid
output is possible. Where a lew
| hundred machines were produced in
January, over IA thousand will be pro-
duced in March.
In expanding ouT aeroplane capacity
-one big handicap has been that new
sources of supply for many necessary
materials had to he developed.
>Thc. requirements for spruce alone
thrice exceeded the entire spruce out
iput OF the country.
There was no. time to wait for pri-
vate industry to develop our spruce
production. so the government. over
night, commandeered all available
supplies of clear, seasoned spruce and
went into the forests for more.
The government is now operating
its own mills in cutting spruce TO,
airplanes. and in order to increase the
supply to the mills has sent into the
forests whole regiments of enlisted
foresters.
AS these me work against lumber.
jacks regularly employed. they re
!! ceive for their work the lumberjack's
" pay, instead Of that of the usual arms
man. For Uncle Sam, even in war
viii not "sca'" his soldiers asasns
AS in lumber for planes, so in line,
: for covering the wings. in dope" 70
treating the linen TO make ut water
!, proof. and in numberlcss other items
!. New sources of supply have had to b.
; created or substitutes developed. TIL
big job has not been the turning on
: of airplanes and motors, but i'll de
: veloping the Industrial organization I,
handle aviation production and t.
: sustain our great aviation organization
Z since it is established.
> In addition to the score of training
u fields established. in the United State
the aviation section has built it's ow1
experimental stations, photograph
laboratories, concentration and enl
harkation amp and has set UP j.
{ France a great training school of it
: own and eight big motor assemblin
shops. manned by American me
chanics.