Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-08-14
BAKER CENTER
OF ROW ON u. S.
AERIAL PLANS
Overseas Men Differ With
General Staff On Fu-
ture Air Program.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

ture defense of the United States
have arisen between Secretary of
War Baker and the general staff
OF the army on the one hand and
! the majority of the men now on
| this side of the ocean who helped
win the war by aerial combat in
France. With the airmen stand no
| less authorities than Marshal Foch,
| General Pershing, Admiral Beatty,
| Sir Douglas Haig, Winston Church
| i'll and the chiefs of air service in
France, Italy and Great Britain.
All the men who have had ex-
perience overseas believe the les
SINS of five years of mistakes in
aviation require the setting up of
an independent air service which
shall cooperate with the land or
naval forces in time of war as re-
quired, but which shall be trained
separately. Assistant Secretary of
War Crowell, who has fust return
ed from Europe, after interviews
with the leading generals, admirals
and statesmen abroad, presented a
unanimous report on behalf of
himself and his colleagues advo-
eating such a step. But Secretary
Baker, influenced strongly by the
views of the general staff of the
army, has turned it down. Senator
New, Republican, has introduced
bill in line with Mr.. Crowell's
recommendations.
VIE Back Overseas Men.
1t would appear that the natural
line of cleavage would be for the
Republican congress to take the
side of men like General Pershing
and the airmen who have seen ser
vice overseas and the experts
abroad who believe aircraft of
prime Importance to future de-
fense. Secretary Baker turns down
the Crowell report with this obser-
vation:
"The mission has in my judg-
ment gone too far in suggesting
single centralized air service. Mill
tary pilots are trained to fight
singly or in formation and to op-
crate in coordination with other
branches of the military service, so
that their training must be mill
tary. Their own efficiency and that
of the other branches of the service
constant associated training, and a
separation of the air service from
the army or navy would require
coordination of their activities in
time of war, whereas effectiveness
in military operation rests upon
the concentration and singIeness of |
authority, command and purpose.
viii Leave u. S. Behind.
To this the airmen reply that of |
course the aviation service would |
operate under a single command /
in time of war just as the navy or |
marine corps do whenever joint |
operations are necessary, but that
there is no more reason for keep |
ing the army and the air service
the weapons of the land and air /
and associated than /
there is to keep land and sea in
strumentalities together. They ar
que, moreover, that with the in
fantry, artillery and other import
ant branches of military operation
on land to take care of, the air ser
vice would again be lost sight of
as it was in the recent war and
that America will be left behind
other nations which are concen-
trating on aerial warfare. Indeed,
the airmen argue that the time is
coming when nations who domi-
late the air will be able to over
cUme armies and navies too by
bombardment from above.
Opposition From Army.
There is reason to believe that
the navy here is much less opposed
than the army to a separate air
service, though of course a small
would naturally prefer to
Keep the present organization in
tact But the real opposition comes
from inside the army, where the
keenest rivalry of other organiZa-
tons is felt. To create a separate
air service, for instance, would
mean new officers of high rank
and that might diminish the num-
Der of army officers who could re-
ain their present high rank. All
Of these things are to be taken into
though the funda-
mental objection is not so much
personal as military Men who
nave not had experience in flying
10 not understand the art or the
part played overseas
n winning the war. Indeed, the
ime is coming when the theoreti-
al views of the officers who were
compelled to stay on
his side of the ocean will conflict
Tery strikingly with the practical
Tiews of the men who actually saw
he immense operations in France.
Would Keep Trained Pilots. {
The air service men are fighting :
lard to get an independent air ser
-ice at this time for they believe if y
hey lose the pilots and exper- :
enced observers who are now in !:
he army, they will not soon re-
over them and the lessons of the
European war will not be taught :
uture youths by men who know .
he air game from first hand con
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