The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-03-16
AMPLE AER0S
READY BY JULY
War Council Tells House COM
mittee That Delays Arc
Being Overcome.
ABOUT 60 DAYS BEHIND
Much Time Was Wasted on
Contractors Who Had No
Plants or Money. ~
ABOUT 60 DAYS BEHIND

WASHINGTON. March I5.--American
built battleplanes will be in France by
July in sufficient quantity to insure ade-
quate air protection Of the sectors then
held by American troops This state
ment rests on the highest authority and
was made tonight with full recogni-
ton Of all failures and disappointments
that have hampered the development OF
the air programme.
Figures on the aviation situation. as
we'll as facts and figures on every other
branch Of the Governments war prep
arations were laid to-day before vir-
tually the full membership Of the House
Military Committee. as yesterday they
were disclosed to the Senate commit
tee. Acting Secretary Crowell again
presided at the session in the rooms
OF the War Council At the war De-
partment, where the new policy OF tax
Ing Congress directly into the confidence
OF the executive branch of the 6overn-
ment was launched.
The comment OF Representative Kahn
(CaIifornia), ranking Republican mem
Der Of the House committee. expressed
the sentiment of the House members
on the new policy. He said 1t means
team work by the whole Government
on the enormous problems that face H.
The figures revealed to the committee
the immediate. current demands OF the
war programme and the progress being
made In meeting them. he added. made
it clear that the country was still un-
awake to the enormity OF its undertake
ing. Mr.. Kahn predicted that great re-
II the weekly conferences with the legis-
Iatiye committees are continued.
II was disclosed to the committee
members that the aviation programme Is
far short of what had been hoped for
Figures estimating that deficiency In
percentage that have been quoted, how
ever. were shown to be wrong. The ac-
tual delay can be figured only in point or
time The airplane production pro-
Rramme in the United States IL to-day
substantially sixty days behind what
guine officials The foreign contracts
which we're to have provided the initial
Axht.ng equipment for Gen. Pershing's S
air forces are still further behind. There
ia every prospect. however. that some OF
the delay will he made up.
Even should the sixty days lost time
stand. however. and even though there
should be no deliveries on the European
contracts. Gen. Pershinx vii! receive \
considerable number of American built
planes by July. Estimates of the time
required to get completed battleplane
from the factory in the United States
to the front have been placed at ninety
days. The War Department is now con-
centratng It's efforts on reducing that
period, with bright prospects OF cutting
II in half Speeding up eforts are be-
Ing directed also at every other element
Of the aircraft programme.
There has been too much optimism
on the one hand and too little knowledge
of the greatness OF the task on the
other" was Representative Kahn's COM
ment on the aviation situation. War De-
partinent officials agreed as to this,
Were 1t not for overoptimistic predic-
tions made before Congressional COM
mittecs and elsewhere, 1t Is said. what
the Aircraft Production Board and the
signal Corps have already accomplished
would be rated as an extraordinary
achievement.
In this connection IL was learned that
the underlying purpose OF the Board OF
Survey headed by Snowden Marshall OF
New York, and to which Gavin McNab
Of San Francisco has been added as the
third member. is to prepare for the en-
larged aircraft programme OF next year
The investigation, by reason Of its
scope, can have little effect on the pres
ent programme. Speeding up Of to-dayt
output rests with Ma ajor-Gen. March. act.
h.s Chief Of STAFF and the Signal corps
n Z = y