Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1918-04-17
WIDELY DIVERGENT VIEWS
Expressed by Senate Military Com.
mittee In Their Reports.

anu drastic reorganization Of pro-
duction machinery was recommends
ed In report by the Senate military
committee to-day, which charges
government officials with misrepre-
senting the situation and misleading
the public and with "procrastina-
ton" and "indecision.
The prospects for the future, the
committee said, look more favorable
and the production OF the last few
weeks promises to get the program
under way to such an extent that q
sufficient number OF planes will be
furnished later to meet all require
ments Of the troops in France.
One-man control of production is
proposed and the committee sug-
gesta that building be taken entirely
out Of the hands of the signal corps.
Delay is charged not only in the
manufacture Of Liebrty motors and
machine parts. but in the training of
fliers as we'll.
The committee recommended that
the one-man administrator be ap-
pointed by the President and assisted
by corps Of expert engineers and
designers. 1t is suggested that "no
man who has any near or remote in
terest in a company manufacturing
airplanes or engines should be per-
mitted to act as adviser or be in au-
thority."
Few Liberty Motors.
The Liberty motor, this committee
declared, 'is just emerging from the
development or experimental stage"
and is not designed for and cannot
be used in the swift single-seated
fighting machines" Of 22,50O Lib
erty motors ordered, the committee
said only 122 have been completed
for the army, 142 for the navy and
four shipped overseas.
"The production of Liberty mo-
tors to date is, of course, grayely dis
appointing says the report
Regarding the training Of avia-
tors the committee found there has
been very serious delay in provid-
ing them with training planes.
AS result" the report says,
Several hundred of the American ca
diets have been practically idle and
have made no progress"
About 1900 cadets were sent to
England, France and Italy last year
to receive primary and advanced
training. About $50 OF them are
reported as having completed the
primary training after long delay,
the report continues, and the signal
corps Is giving serious consideration
to the advisability OF bringing the
remainder back to the United States.
With four schools. under construc-
tion to be finished in June, the COM
mittee said the signal corps is now
conducting twenty aviation training
schools in this country, with total
capacity Of 5000 cadets. Graduates
have numbered 1926, commissioned
as military reserve aviators, but
very few have received their ad-
vanced training"
With the exception Of what the
committee referred to as "severe dis
: appointment" the primary training
OF aviators was said to appear to be
progressing fayorahly. Fatalities
from accidents, the committee said,
were distressing, but appear to be
less frequent than in the schools Of
our allies"
Output Is Increasing.
Regarding airplane construction
the committee found from the incep-
tion OF the work on primary train
ing planes it "gave ground for grave
concern"
I'm recent works, however," the
report said, "the output has been
greatly increased. On April 1st, 81
4b8 primary training planes had
been completed Of two standard
types, In advanced training planes
four types were being made, the
total number to date manufactured
being 342. In these planes three
types of engines Gall Of foreign de-
4 sign, but American manufacturer
will be used, of which 965 have been
completed.
The production OF combat planes
has thus far been a substan-
tial failure and constitutes most
serious disappointment in our war
preparations. We had no design Of
our own; neither did we adopt any