New-York tribune., 1918-10-16
Air Secretary Ryan Back
With Praise for Ameri-
can Engine
"Superior," 5" Assert
British and French
United States PLANES Led
in Great Argonne
Offensive
Especial Dispatch to The Tribune)

Especial Dispatch to The Tribune)
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15.-The Liberty
motor has been accepted by the British
and the French as superior to their
own manufacture, and with the Italian
government they are depending upon
the Uited States to supply as many of
them as possible, John D. Ryan, Second
Assistant Secretary of War, declared
to-day in telling Of his trip to France.
The American-made De Haviland
plane also is more in demand by pilots
at the front than planes of British and
French manufacture, Mr.. Ryan said
The air secretary said that he had
pledged this government to be in hearty
accord with the air ministries of the AL
lies, and that the future air programme
of the United States would be a policy
of production and the, training of
pilots to dovetail with the combined
programme of the Allies $50 as to put
into operation at the front in the short
est possible time the greatest air power
and efficiency in order to help win the
war at the earliest possible day."
upon reaching France" Mr.. Ryan
said, II went Immediately to the front
and was with our forces during the St.
Mihiel fight and the battle of the Ar
gonne.
"The air forces in both offensives
were under the direction of the Ameri-
can commander, and, while the French
furnished a large part of the forces
used and the British cooperated, the
American squadrons made up about
half of the number participating. The
! commentator of the work of our pilots
was tempered only by suggestion that
perhaps our boys were too venturesome
and overcourageous.
U. S. planes in General Use
"The United States De Haviland
planes were in general use for obser-
vatlon and day bombing in both the
st. Mihiel and the Argonne attacks, and
the pilots were to man enthusiastic
as to their performances. While indi-
vldual pilots and commanders had sug-
gestlons as to improvements and bet
terments that might be made, they were
individual and seldom indicated any,
thing more than a personal preference
Tor some Encouragement of details.
The commanders of all the squad
rons using De Hayiland planes, as we'll
as planes of British and French manu-
facture for like purposes, told me that
the pilots in every case would prefer
to take De Haviland machine with a.
Liberty engine over the line rather
than any machine of like type. This
is due to the fact that the machine is
fast, and for one Of it's type is quite
man@uvrable; that it climbs we'll. and
the pilots all agreed is a very efficient
machine for the uses for which it is
intended.
"On my trip the Liberty engine was
the cause of more worry to me than
anything else, because ali of the Allied
nations were demanding more of them
French, British and Italian have used
the Liberty engine in their own ma
chimes at the front, and their building
programmes as now laid out are based
to considerable extent upon obtain
ing supply of these motors in this
country.
Il come home feeling that our al
lies consider the success of the United
States in producing this engine in
large numbers one of the greatest ac-
complishments in the war. Both the
British and the French are now putting
the Liberty motor in planes that for
merly carried engines of either a
heavier weight or less power. l can
safely. say that the Liberty engine,
with its high power combined with
llghtness, has greatly increased the
efficiency of some of the planes that
the Allies have been using at the front
for some time
Their representatives even expressed
themselves to me that it has made new
machines of several types"