Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-23
0NE-MAN CONTROL
OF AVIATION is
URGED IN REPORT
LOng-Awaited Document on
Aircraft Production
Submitted.
CABINET OFFICER SHOULD
HAVE CHARGE OF WORK
Failure to Adopt Common-Sense
Program Cause of Early
Delays.
ATTEMPTED IMPOSSIBLE TASK
ehonid Have Built Types in Use
While Developing Liberty
Motor.
ATTEMPTED MposslBLE TASK
Should Have Built Types i'm Use
While Developing Liberty
Motor.
rBy Associated Pes =,

Is" Associated Pfcssl
VA IL = g T O y. August 22.--Thc
hs-awai;ed report of the Senate Mil
""ry subcommittee Investigating A.
eFatt production was submitted to-day.
win scatLInS arraignmcnt of delays
III the early days of the war. "a review
OF Improved conditions and r.:om.
menda,ions for the creation of Il new
separate department of aviation with
cabinet officer al it's head
FAILURE to adopt successful foreign
airplanes and motors. waste of milliona
~ dollars OF aircraft appropriations
uoniha nca of the airplane program by
iitncxpeF'enced automobile manufnc-
unrers cnFystemaiic and Ineffective
organization and excessive profits to-
,.h ,nah hhuiHcturera ar" among criticisms
i?ade b. he subcommittee. OF which
senator Thomus. OF Colorado. was
chairman
wHoii:s We CONDEMNATION
GE PROGRAM DISCLAIMED
Disclaiminr Wholesale condemnation
OF the aircraft program. The subcom-
Inittee praised much that has been ac-
compiished. and predicted we are APP
Droaching period when quantity pro-
duction OF planes soon may be hoped
Tor. The report is impcrsonal. and
sonal dishonesty or official corruption
are LETT 10 the Department Of Justices
i,n1aplry, i1ay, conducted by Charles =
Stating tina, ,auch can he said "in ex-
.tnuat.on q disanpointmcnis in
,n,rcfan , produeiion. the committce's
1noltnding nnnts, tran.por;miion 70 General
more than years Efforts 10 secure
front.
While condemninr chiefly failures
under the, former a!rcraft production
board and signal corps control. and
n notIng great . in Mimprogemen,s since Joh.
a I.,t if,.
and military br=nches. the committee
'-.,rongly urges "one-man control' In
organization AT the star; is assigned
to Congress.
SUGGESTS FAVORIrISM
SHOWN DAYTON CONCERNS
In suggesting without att.mptinc TO
fix definite responsibility, that favor
itisnn had been shown b.! the old air
craft hoard In placing contracts. the
committee says the presence OF Day-
ton interests on the board ana the large
contracts given Dayton companies has
provoked. "and We think justly, much
OF the public comment which made the
Investigation Imperative"
Regarding training fields. the com
mated cost is s52.5Oo.oor cxciusive OF
that ut Miami Fla. "estnhlishcd hv
Colonel f. A. Deeds. member of the
board. on his own responsibility and
without tho knowledge or s"nc;iofI-o o!
tho head of the continent division"
In another reference to Colonel
Deeds. !, is stated .hG, he was the
O.. and part owner q: another feld for
+ which NEGOTIATIONS were begun.
: He sold and trans:errsh them ~" ,.;'
which he had hccn identified and which
now own Them
Although Langley Field. near New
r9l1 SGws w. eosinr %aT wTsy hHss 1na n
committee says II was practically
abandoned" for training and expert
mental work. and McCook Field was
"McCoos Field is not only 100 small
: for satisfactory experimental iyias.
HI, It's environmcnt is unfavorable. :
the marshv ground Of Wilbur Wrigr:
Field. at DAYTON. was noted. but the
committee said nhou: $4,000. 800 expend-
ed there justified lis retention.
Jnsistence by the Dayton Wright
Company for rnnia! of an additional
field, In which Colonel Deeds was said
to he Interested. caused abandonment
Of the program
CRITICISM OF OFFICIALS
FOR OVEROrFIMIsM
CriticizinE officials for cnusing over
optimism regarding the aircraft pro-
gram. the committee says:
while much good has been accom-
pllsned for which due credit should I've
given; 1t must nevertheless, he admit
ted that our aeroplana program has.
up to the nr"sent. preserteA many as
poets of failure"
by Congress for aviation in july. 1917.
SAYS the report. has been exhausted
and e"practically wasted with sSS4.-
100000 more found necessary. and it
while IN a:r,y OF three and half
million has te"n raised the aircraft
si,uo tion is az follows:
"Six hundred and one peHaviland
Fours have been embarked for France
up to August I. 1918. OF these sixty
'(On August squadron of eigh-
teen r. Haviland Fours flew over the
German lines. Details of it's perform
ancs have ss, not been l;nseis reseised.
made chasse for plane Of attack upon
the battle front.
NOT ONE AMERICAN-MADE
BOMDING PLANE ON FRONT
I'VE have not single American
battle front.
I'VE have not developed and put in
nuantity production a successful chasse
Other criticisms include:
Abandonment Of the standard sta ~"
built at n cost of S6.000.000 and con-
demned as dangerous.
Cancellation Of orders for 5000 Spad
single-seated fighting machines last
as Te ana sepSs
abandonment of the Bristol fighting
machine after expendins ,$6.5oo,000
and the loss Of several valuable lives
Delay in developing the DeHaviland
Failure to rush manufacture OF the
Caproni and Hadley-Page heavy bomb
inr machines.
i"s Failure to develop an airplane around
the liberty motor.
Incompetency Of inspectors.
Location Of flying fields at, insult
Failure to encourage alrplane pro-
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