Republican farmer., 1918-04-12

Washington, April 10-The gov
ernment's aircraft program is char
acter1zed as "grave1y disappointing
and drastic reorganization OF pro-
duction machinery was recommended
in report by the senate military
committee today, which charges gov
eminent officials with misrepresenting
the situation and misleading the pub
lie and with representation" 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
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 suggests
that building be taken entirely out
of the hands of the signal corps. De-
lay is charged not only in the manu-
facture of Liberty motors and ma
chine parts, but in the training of fly
ers as we'll.
The committee recommended that
the one man administrator be ap-
pointed by the president and assisted
by a corps of expert engineers and de-
signers. 1t suggested that mo man
| who has any near or remote interest
| in a company making aeroplanes or
| engines should be permitted ''to act
| as adviser or be in authority"
The Liberty motor, the committee
declared, sis just emerging from the
development or experimental STAGE"
and sis not designed for or can be
used in the swift single seated fight
ing machines"
| Of 22,500 Liberty motors ordered,
the committee said, only 1872 have
been completed for the army, 142 for
the navy and four shipped overseas.
THE production of Liberty motors
to date is, of course, gravely disap-
| pointing" says the report. Govern
ment officials have made the
mistake of leading the public and the
Allied nations to the belief that many
thousands of these motors would be
completed in the spring of 1918. In
formation of this sort, not borne out
by the facts, has been injurious, and
it's constant dissemination the COM
/
rimental to our cause"
Regarding the training of aviators,
the committee found that there
has been very serious delay in pro-
viding them with training planes.
GAS a result" the report says, "sev-
eral hundred of the American cadets
have been virtually idle and have
made no progress"
About 1900 cadets were sent to
England, France and Italy last year
to receive primary and advanced
training.
1.-The experience of a great many of
these men has been most unfortur-
ate," says the report, 'in that at
some of the schools very serious
delay has occurred in providing them
with training planes which it was ex-
pected would be manufactured in
foreign factories in sufficient number.
About $50 of them are reported as
having completed the primary train
ing after long delay. The Signal
Corps is giving serious consider alton
to the advisability of bringing the re-
mainder back to the United States"
With four new schools unde" con
struction to be finished in Jure, the
committee said the signal corps is
now conducting twenty aviation train
ing schools in this country with a
total capacity of 5000 cadets. Grad
yates have numbered 1926, commits
stoned as reserve military aviators,
but VERY few" have received their
advanced training.
With the exception of what the
IcOm0oittea refnrPad to az tfsevara die
appointment" the primary training
of aviators was said to appear to be
progressing favorab1y. Fatalities
from accidents, the committee said
were distressing, but appear to be
less frequent than in the schools of
our allies