The Washington herald., 1918-08-23
AERO PROGRAM
REPORTED
FAILURE.
Liberty Motor Fetish Is One
Cause, Senate Com
. mittee Ayers.
BAKER FINDS HOPE
In RECENT PROGRESS
Says All Possible Advan-
tage Will Be Taken Of
Inquiry.
SECRETARY OF AVIATION
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED
Department Under One Response
bic Head on Permanent Basis
Considered Vital.
BAKER FINDS HOPE
In RECENT PROGRESS
SECRETARY OF AVIATION
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED

The report of the subcommittee
of the Senate Military Affairs
Committee which investigated air
craft production was submitted to
the Senate yesterday with the ap-
proval of the committee.
1t finds many serious faults-so
many, in fact, as to make the pro-
gram of aircraft production up to
this time a failure. The commit
tee finds hope, however. of future
quantity production. 1t recon-
mends the creation of a depart
ment of aviation. under the con-
troll and supervision of a secre-
tary and ranking with those of
the army and navy.
Separate Unit Urged.
I'VE would thus place power and re-
! sponsibility." says the report. in the
hands OF a single man. organize a
service not alone for this war, but
for all time. and establish for the
forces of the air the same policy of
administration that has so long gov
erned those Of the land and the seas -
Secretary Baker made the following
statement yesterday evening:
Il have read only the newspa per
summary of the report Of the sub
Committee on Aircraft of the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs. Many
Of the details and difficulties dis
cussed by the report seem to have
been corrected, and the conclusion
reached by the committee that SUBJ
stantial progress is now being made
Will be very reassuring to the
country.
In the meantime. OF course, the
War Department will examine with
great care the full text of the report,
and all the evidence taken by the
subcommittee, of which a copy has
recently been supplied to the DEPART
ment. Our effort will be to take all
possible advantage from the inquiry
which the subcommittee has made
and to give most careful consideration
TO It's recommendations and findings. "
Report of Committee.
The report of the committee calls
attention to reassurances on the part
Of Gen. Squier. chief of the Signal
Corps, Secretary Baker and others in
charge of the aircraft program which
were misleading and proved to be at
variance with the facts. The report
starts out with a statement OF ac-
compliments and failures.
1t says in part:
"on April 6. 1917. the United states
entered the war.
"On June s, 1917. public announce
ment was made that a great feet of
5000 aeroplanes was about to be
created, and would be decisive of the
war months before an effective army
could be put in Europe.
"On July "a, 1918, Congress appro-
priated $40 100000 to carry out the
| aircraft program. This fund has
been, either by actual expenditure or
by commitments. exhausted. A fur
ther appropriation of 1854, 304,15S has
been found necessary.
I'm the opinion Of the committee a
substantial part Of the first .appropria-
tion was practically wasted.
While much good work has been
accomplished, for which due credit
should be given. 1t must nevertheless
be admitted that our aeroplane pro-
gram has. up to the present, presented
many aspects OF failure.
The committee goes into a de-
tailed report of experiments which
largely resulted in failures, chiefly OH
account of the fetch Of the Liberty
motor.
Dual Control Unsntisfnetory.
1.-THE system is still subject to the
criticism that 1t is dual in character
which is unsatisfactory" the repor,
declares, "since It may at any timt
| lead to differences and to division OF
| responsibility. We are constrained
therefore. to renew the committee
recommendation of last April. sus.
tained by the opinion of every mai
whose views were consulted by US
that the whole subject should be un'
| der the control Of one man.
4 "Our present organization Is faulty
| because divided into two parts. with
! a man Of strong will and opinion Al
| the head of each division. While these
two divisions are correlated, they may
not be permanently co-ordinated
Your committee. therefore, believe,
that the Importance and magnitud,
OF aviation as a permanent branch ot
| our military organization requires one
directing and responsible head bott
for its efficiency and speedy develop
/ ment. Its classification with the army
and navy as a distinct arm of the
service is essential to this end"
| After pointing out that both Eng
land and France have created ali
istries. the report continues:
1--WE should create a department
-