The Washington times., 1918-03-25
j. S. WILL LEAD
THE. WORLD IN
FALL

The United States by the last Of
August, will have completed more
than double the number of battle
planes now in use by Germany,
England, and France, aviation Of
ficials declared today.
While admitting that the aero
plane program is two months be-
hind the original schedule and con-
tending that the United States
plans have been overadvertised, the
officials suggested that a vast work
has been done.
Will Reach High Mark.
There will be no 100000 planes this
year. and the figures by late August
win not run up to forty. thirty, or
even twenty thousand planes. But
1t will be. according to production re-
ports, so vast number as to give
big allied superiority in the air.
Training planes are now going
into storage. They are smaller and
lighter than the combat and bombing
planes and consequently easier OF
production
Aviation men explained that the
delays have been considerable. But
in their own defense they suggested
that perhaps their schedule had been
overambitious and that they have
been the subject OF ill-advised and
dreams and predictions by
the unknowtng.
Again. IL was pointed out, that Il
L - g. - hnN
certain phases OF the program had
to be completely altered to meet the
changed conditions abroad.
Building Plans Changed.
BattlepIanes are being built big
ger and faster than originally
planned. The Liberty motor. orig
inally planned to develop 330-horse-
po&er has been altered to develop
400 normally and AGO under pressure
The investigation in the airplane
situation Is developing laxities in or
many officers. too
many branches, too little co-ordtnAr
ton.
In announcing the results OF an In
vestigation It has made, the New
York World says:
AT the outset IL should be said that
the air DEOkTdHl 10 ANOAh h1NAA6
collapsed. With that on the record
II must be admitted that the early
claims Of the aircraft board as to de-
and progress OF the pro-
gram were grossly exaggerated It
Is agreed that there had been an
due to characterization OF
the difficulties Of founding q new In
dustry.
ReviseFISures.
There has been a revision OF the
plan. and while the new figures are
by mo- means as impressive as the old.
they are nevertheless held to be sat-
isfactory from a military standpoint.
The original program called for D.
300 airpIanes by the end of 1918. It
Is true that this was an unofficial
claim, but it was permitted to go
forth and was loudly and widely re-
peated. often accelerated BY official
sources.
1T is less a violation OF military
secrecy than a matter Of maintaining
public confidence, which Is in itself Of
primary strategic Importance, to say
again what has already been said,
namely. that the program will not be
carried out along the original lines,
and to state for the first time what
the revised schedule calls for. That
s IL 100 combat. planes by the end OF
November.
French Build Some.
by combat planes Is meant the
used for raiding and, OBJ
purposes and for day and
night bombing. The term does not
include the single-seated light ex-
:lusively fighting planes-the thor
,ughbreds OF the air, nor does 1t in
dude elementary or advanced train
ng planes. They are listed on sep
rate tables. The delivery OF ele-
school planes is we'll into the
quantity stage, and the advanced
'lanes will soon reach that point
The highly developed single seated
lighters are being built in France and
England. America has never intended
md does not now plan to build that
ype- She Is too far away from the
ront, where changes in this class OF
.ircraft are OF almost weekly occur