New-York tribune., 1919-10-29

ing has since been done to keep this
producing capacity organized. Con-
gress has not appropriated the money
necessary to keep plants running.
Why, in July Of this year, just IA
airplanes were made in the whole
Great Britain produced 1000. That
shows how we are standing still while
others are going ahead.
"There has been extravaganza and
waste, but it should be said that, re-
sponsible men are now in charge. The
men who perpetrated the extravagances
and waste have been retired. / have
all confidence in the present director
of air service and his lieutenants
But they came in after the armislice,
they found no money with which to
fuild the planes and they asked suf-
ficent to build 900 in the next eighteen
three squadrons of aircraft in the air
if there were need of them. This
great industry, which we have built
up, has all but perished. 1t must have
assistance now to tide it over the
period estimated at about three years,
until the art shall have been thor
oughly commercialized. If We allow
ourselves to drop out Of the race for
this brief period we will not catch
up again IN 25 years.
South American Situation
"Within a few days." said Senator
New of Indiana. 81 have put in the
records of these hearings a letter
from the Second Assistant Secretary
of State, Mr.. Adee, to the Manufacture
ers Aircraft Association describing
the situation in South America. In
this letter Mr.. Adee asks the Ameri-
can manufacturers if it is not possible
for them to establish some American
competition in this South American
market. Now then the manufacturers
association knows what is happening
in South America. The French and
British agents there are backed by
their governments and in present con-
dition Americans cannot compete with
them"
The War and Navy Department in
sist that there is coordination between
them. but l say there is worse than no
coordination between them. They have
demonstrated an utter lack Of capacity
to get together. That is true of all
the departments, and will give one
illustration. The postoffice in con-
nection with the New York Chicago
tions. 1t asked the Navy Department
about them, and the navy replied: we
have four stations that you can use
and we may conclude to build fifth
but the postoffice went away and pre-
ceeded to build the entire fire sta
tions on its own little account
Senator Wadsworth gave an item
lied statement of the requirements
which will absorb all of the $25 100000
heretofore appropriated for the air
service. He said that as soon as the
icti
versal demand that the men in uniform
be demobilized, demands from Con-
gress and from the country. AS a re-
suit, in the last year $4,000 600 has
been expended on the salaries of civil
ian emp oyees in the air service In
the salvage division about $4,000 900
more has been required. Leases on
flying fields will cost $35O,0OO, and de-
velopment of lighter -than-air craft,
whose utility has been so completely
demonstrated by tho performance of
the British R-34, will require s30OO,-
600. Maintenance Of engines, planes
stores houses. shops and flying fields
will absorb the rest of the appropria-
ton, leaving nothing with which to
build new planes.
R-a4 Cost sa,ooo,ooo
ain connection with the reference to
the voyage of the R-34," he said, "it
is we'll to say that that single craft
cost the British government 100000
but it represented ap idea. 1t demon
strated that long Voyages could be
made, and as a result the British gov
ernment is now laying out and estab-
fishing, air routes to India and Aus
Senator Thomas, Colorado, said:
of this condition of which the Sem
ator from New York speaks is permit
ted to continue we may find ourselves
in an inferior position even to Mex
leo with respect to our air service