The Cordova daily times. [volume] (Cordova, Alaska) 1914-1947, 1918-03-09
REQUIRES THIRTY MEN
FOR A SINGLE AVIATOR

Edward r. Stettinius, the recently
appointed surveyor general of suplies
for the army, is turning his attention
first to tightening up of the business
+ organization of the signal corps for
here, as in no other branch of the
service is typified the INTERPOLATION be.
tween the industrial and the military
processes of war-making.
The reader of newspapers and maya
zines is accustomed to think of the air
+ service as consisting entirely of in
trepid Tiers who soar over the en-
emy's lines, accommodating. bombing.
and, in general, fulfilling the traditions
of that most picturesque branch of
our military service. Perhaps no de-
partment of warfare appeals more to
the imagination and less to realiza-
ton of the practical, mechanical grind
of the days work.
And yet, if each pilot we're to take
up in the air with him all the men
who are, in their way, as intimately
connected with that single airplane
as he himself, a Zeppelin-sized con
yeyance would be required; for, be-
sides the pilot, there are thirty indus
trial soldiers to every plane which
flies over the front Each pilot is
the personal representative of thirty
machinists, toolmakers, engine filters,
cabnetmakers, carpenters, sailmakers,
| motor and plane departmental of
/ them members of the signal corps,
and all Of them waiting on the ground
with a personal interest in that ma
chine
1t is the building up of this combina-
ton industrial military organization
that has made the work of the signal
corps so phenomenal, and it is to its
further development and coordination
! that Mr. Stettinius is bringing his ex-
ceptional talents for organization. Pro
gress in this granch of war pFepara-
tion may be said to Rave begun at
minus zero, because, al the declaration
of war, it became necessary to cancel
a large percentage of the work which
was being carried forward on a peace
/ time basis,
On July a, 1917, when the appro-
! pfiation bin providing for the expan-
sion of his fighting branch was pass
! ed, the personnel of the flying service
consisted OF only a few hundred men.
! To-day the personnel of the signal
corps number 10000, including fliers,
mechanics, and trade experts in every
! line.
Thsv.sdustrial soldiers enrolled in
this service are all sent to schools for
arade testing Here they are sorted
into squadrons for training in that
branch Of the work for which they are
best fitted. These squadrons are given
military training for purposes of dis
cipline, but their intensive training
is in the industrial phases of the serv-
ice so vital to the maintenance of the
ships of the air.
Added to the great manufacturing
activity which is being concentrated
ceaselessly upon the production of en-
gines, planes, aircraft parts, machine
guns scientific instruments and ma
! terial into shape for active service.
A tremendous work has already been
done by the signal corps European eX-
perts have stated that the flying and
training schools in the United States
created within a few brief months, sur
! pass anything in this line to be seen
in Europe after three years of war.
/ II is to the perfecting of this great
business and manufacturing organiza
ton, which is so essential to the
picturesque cavalry of the clouds,
that Mr.. Stettinius's knowledge anG
organizing ability is first being turned
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