The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-12-11
TO BUILD MANY PLANES
Clcmcnceau's Appeal Formed Basis Of
American Program.

Washington, Dec. 11.-An appeal
by Premier Clemenceau of France,
for an American aircraft contribution
of two thousand planes month and
a total of five thousand aviators and
fifty thousand specialized mechanics
formed the basis for the extensive
aircraft program to which the United
States committed itself in the world
war. This was disclosed today by
Major General William L. Henley, di-
rector of military aeronautics, in his
annual report. The appeal of the
French premier the report says was
received May "a, 1917, two weeks
after adoption of the aircraft program
for the army involving an expenditure
of $55.000,000. Two months later
congress at the request of the war
department enacted another aircraft
appropriation bill carrying a total of
$64O,OOO,OOO.
This country had never trained an
aviator sufficiently to meet the de-
Eaands of overseas aerial warfare"
General Henley points out, in illus
trating the difficulties the nation
| faced in seeking to comply with the
urgent appeal for aid by France.
Graduate 1880. ,,-e..
Despite this handicap, 1880 men
had been graduated as reserve military
June 80, 1918, the report says, and
! ITo1 bombers, IS bombing pilots, 464
observers, 389 observer pilots and 131
pursuit pilots had been graduated on
| that date from the advanced training
| schools.
| In the the year ending last June 80,
there were 152 fatalities in training,
or an average of one death to 1884
hours and POI, 200 miles flown. Stalled
engines, usually due to an error of the
I pilot, caused Sc deaths; collisions 80
and side-slips TO-. ...t. 5-il- --
I 'sRegrettabler as these accidents
are" the report says, ''it is felt that
ence, the early state of development
of the planes. the inexperience in in
struction and the necessity OF teaching
stunts. in themselves rather danger
Gus, this number is not large. AS a
matter of aerial statistics. fatalities in
American training are less than half
as large as those of the other allied
countries
| The report says that 44O balloon Of
! ficerS also had been graduated, 1855 of
! which were fully qualified observers
i during the year.
Discussing the overseas part of the
air service program. the report says
the first cadets. went over for training
six weeks after the declaration of war.
and by the end of 1917. more than
$500 men had been sent to France,
England. Italy or Canada.
| Inc collapse OF Russia, the report
continues, '1taly's serious defeat and
the weight thrown upon the allied
services made it impossible. unfortu-
nately, for the allies to meet the sched-
ule of training planes necessary, so
! that many of these cadets, the most
promising of Americas material. were
| in idleness for months.
'It was early in May, 1918, how
ever, over a year after Americas en-
| try, into the war, that the first German
plane fell victim to an aviator in the
! American service. About the same
time 46S fully trained American ayia-
tors organized into thirteen complete
American squadrons or brigades with
British and French squadrons were
actually on the front, taking increas-
ing toll of the enemy"