The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-02-21
A PEEK At THE
AVIATION CORPS
PUBLIC IMAGINEs MUCH BUT
KNOWS LITTLE OF 1T:
ORGANIZED SINCE LAST JULY
Has Made Wonderful Strides Towards
Actual Accomplishment - Flying
Schools Best In WorId-Pro-
.HE gress Astonishes Europeans.

Washington, ID. c., Feb. 20-Ed-
ward r. Stettinius, the recently APP
pointed surveyor general of supplies
for the Army, is turning his attention
first to a tightening up of the business
organization of the Signal Corps, for
here, as in no other branch of the
service, is typified the INTERPOLATION
between the industrial and the mill
Etary processes of war-making.
The reader of newspapers and mag
| azines is accustomed to think of the
air service as consisting of intrepid
| filers who soar over the enemys
lines, accommodating, bombing, and,
in general, fulfilling the traditions of
that most picturesque branch of our
/ service. Perhaps no department of
warfare appeals more to the imagin-
alton and less to a realization of the
practical, mechanical grind of the
days work.
And yet, if each pilot were 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 Zeppelin-sized convey
ance would be required; for, besides
the pilot, there are 80 industrial sol
diers to every plane which flies over
the front. Each pilot is the personal
representative of 80 machinists, tool
makers, engine filters, cabinetmakt
ers, carpenters, sailmakers, motor and
plane repairmen-all of them sol
diers, all of them members of the
Signal Corps, and all of them wait.
ing on the ground with personal in
| terest in that machine.
Small Army In Itself.
1t is the building up of this combin-
alton industrial military organization
that has made the work of the Signal
! Corps so phenomenal, and it is to its
| further development and coordina-
ton that Mr.. stettinius is bringing
his exceptional talents for organiza-
ton. Progress in this branch of war
gun at minus zero, because, at the
Ideclaration of war, it became neces-
sary to cancel a large percentage of
the work which was being carried for
ward on a peace-time basis.
On July "a, 1917, when the appro-
pTiation bill providing for the eXpan-
! sion of this fighting branch was pass
ed, the personnel of the flying service
consisted Of only few hundred men.
! Today the personnel of the Signal
Corps numbers 10000, including fiji
ers, mechanics, and trade experts in
every line.
The industrial soldiers enrolled in
this service are all sent to schools for
trade testing. Here they are sorted
into squadrons for training in that
branch of the work for which they
are best fitted. These squadrons
Fare given military training for pur-
1poses of discipline, but their intensive
! training is in the industrial phases of
the service so vital to the mainten-
ance of the ships of the air.
/ 49,. Big Work TO Do.
Added to the great manufacturing
tactivity which is being concentrated
| ceaselessly upon the production of
engines, planes, aircraft parts, ma
chine guns, scientific instruments and
materials, is the big task of whipping
human material into shape for active
service. A tremendous work has al
ready been done by the Signal Corps.
! European experts have stated that
the flying and training schools in the
! United States, created within a few
! brief months, surpass anything in
this line to be seen in Europe after
three years of war.
| 1t is to the perfecting of this great
| business and manufacturing organ
| ization, which is so essential to the
picturesque Cavalry of the clouds"
that Mr.. Stettinius's knowledge and
organizing ability is first being
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