The Washington herald., 1918-04-10

Recommendations of the Senate
Military Committee may extend so
far as Endorsement of an air min
istry for this country. The pro-
posal has so many followers. be-
cause of the immensity of the
branch that it might find general
Endorsement at the hands of Con-
gress and the President, too.
1t is pointed out. in connection
with our present activities. that
there L. not a single airplane bull
der on our present aircraft board,
and that in the technical end of
the Signal Corps there is not a
single flyer and designer who is in
charge of that branch of our pro-
gram. This is a palpable defect
a defect of more than ordinary mag
nitude. 1t would not be apparent,
many members believe. If an air
ministry were maintained.
Any report made by the Senate
Committee. which has been going
into the airplane program with
some thoroughness, will not be af-
fected by what the Presidents COM
mission may do. The Senate has
made its investigation in such a
way it will act upon it's own find
ings. The subject of the Liberty
Motor, for instance, will be treated
! frankly. II is thought. The report
will state some of the obvious facts
of the motors construction, and
will let the public generally render
its own verdict on the testimony
given to the committee.
The statement made yesterday
that battle planes would be made
for American aviators on the other
side of the water. and that Ameri-
can endeavor would be merely to
make bombing and scouting planes
is an admission that we have not
developed an engine light enough
and fast enough for battle planes
We have most excellent engine
for the slower bombing planes in
the Liberty Motor-after all lubri-
cation and cooling troubles are
remedies-and we will find great
use for it in every respect.
The investigation has disclosed
weaknesses of the program, and
will enable us now to go ahead. A
statement made in Sundays Wash
ington Post reported Secretary
Baker as saying in February:
Our airplane program is now SIX
months AHEAD of schedule
But the disclosures now admitted
by those in charge of the program
make that statement so absurd al
to be ridiculous. coming as it die
from the man of all men who should
have known about it.
Drafted men are being rushed tc
France in greater numbers than mem
bers of the National Guard. Much
complaint is being made about this
at National Guard headquarters
From East and West the Guards
men are crying to be allowed to gel
at the Hun. The trouble. however
appears to be that the Guardsmer
are not as well officered as the drafted
men and that they cannot therefore
be made ready as quickly for over.
seas service. The task of weedinf
| out the incompetent National Guart
officers and of instructing those wht
| are left is a vast one and the army
officers are doing their best to carry
it on without loss of time, they say
IT want to say that the army of.
ficers in Washington, particularly
those holding iieutenant's and cap.
tain's commissions, do too much talk.
ing. II were a German spy and in.
terested in finding things out I woul6
be loaded with enough now to be
worth transmission to Geramny."
This was the statement yesterda,
Of q high-class. loyal American, tc
the Observer. This man. who studied
for several years in Germany and
who knows German ways better thar
do most Americans, added:
II know how keen Germans are tc
make use of things they learn. II
there are German spies here-and
there probably are some-they can
get their ears full and then some, BY
merely dining at some of our LEADING
hotels and loafing around some Of
ths popular plsSse. onlcsrs MOUTH