Evening star., 1918-08-25

chahicai defects In alrpianes, result
from the acceptance of candidates for
by reason of physical or mental de-
ficiencles for work In air service.
They should not have undertaken
the work and would not have been
accepted as aviation students II II
had been possible beforehand to as
certain the existence of such condi-
tions. There is but one thing the
flight surgeon can do for them. and
that is to recommend their transfer
to another branch of the service as
soon as their work discloses that they
are In the wrong place. 1t is not
difileuIt to teach this class to ny. but
It 10 not in them to become aviators.
The next class OF fliers to run into
danger is the expert aviator, for Just
as soon as an aviator begins to feel
confidence In himself he 10 in danger
unless he obeys every rule laid down
soon as he negiects these precau-
tions he begins to do foolish things.
He will do "stunts' contrary to or
ders. far below the safety elevation;
discard his iifebelt. regardless Of the
fact that swift plano will with a
broncho disposes of his rider; drop his
controls while he lights a cigarette.
and do all sorts OF dangerous and
unnecessary performances. His great
opportunity for fooiishness comes
when he files solo at a distance from
camp. Young fiers have gone up in
come down in the front seats. crawl
ing from the one to the other. mean
while leaving their controls while the
machine Is flying at a height that
prevents the ground men from seeing
the performance.
The great danger Is that the men
will make flights when they are not
fit. and 1t Is the duty of the new flight
surgeon to subject the fiiers to rigid
tests before they are permitted to
go up In the air. The physical d.
rector looks after the diet aGd the
exercise of his men and reports to
''on edge" 1t has been SO difficult
to find exactly the right sort of flight
surgeons and trainers that not all
of the camps have been supplied, but
soon they will be. and upon them will
fall the task of looking after tho
young men in this service. The di-
vision of military aeronautics says
discipline must be enforced, and that
students and experts will obey orders
or take consequences that may re-
suit in the loss of commissions, held
OF In prospect.
X 4
THE marines have been called half
soldier and half sailor. but ex-
cept in song they have not been call
ed cavalry. They have their ma
chine gun batteries and their land
Ing batteries. their airplanes. and
now, not to be outdone. they have
their mounted men. A request re-
Gently made to Army medical head
quarters for the assignment Of veteri-
narians for duty with the marines OF
tina A. L. F. led to information that
those officers were required for duty
In connection with the care OF draft
animals in the transport service of
the marines In France.
However. the "horse marine" is no
longer a creature OF the ina gtnation,
to be mentioned Jestingly: for the Ma
rine Corps has In Cuba and Haiti q
number Of mounted detachments en-
gagged In exceedingly active duties.
In Cuba alone there are about 600
marines who have been provided with
mounts. Officers who have seen
these men In service speak in very
high terms of the eiiioiency Of the
unique mounted troops, and their
organization seems to be able to
adapt itself to any condition that con-
fronts 1t.