davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Carlisle independent., 1919-06-05
Service to BriscOe Owners

We have had our troubles, in the past. in getting spare or replacement parts promptly on cars which were merely assembled Weeks might elapse before the factory could get action from the parts maker.
 So it was great pleasure to find that in the 43-acre Briscoe plants 99 per cent of the car was produced from the raw materials.
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23
Congress Would
Like 10 Go On

There is a pronounced sentiment in Con-
gress in favor of continued activity in the
development Of aviation and aeronautics
and rather general belief that there must
be some degree Of separation of the control
of this development from the authority Of
the General Staff. But the War Department
supports the General Staff, the President is
opposed to the creation of an independent
department Of the air, and the Navy Depart
ment is jealous OF the independence of it's
own aviation work There is, therefore, little
hope of any really constructive legislation
from the present Congress, but with legis-
lasior controlled by the opposition party
after March there is chance for legis-
lat:on on the merits Of the subject, rather
than in harmony with administration policy.
The Senate Military Affairs Committee
long ago declared unanimously in favor of
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23

an independent department of the air, but
now that the war is over it has to some ex-
tent lost interest in the subject and Senator
Chamberlain, its chairman, is not sure that
an absolutely independent department is
necessary, though he feels that as things
are there is small chance for adequate
development, and that some original legisla-
tion on the subject of the place, Importance
and scope of its operations within the army
Will be necessary if aviation is not to be
scandalously neglected.
Senator New, of Indiana, has bill for the
creation of a separate department of the
air, which would be of Cabinet rank and
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23
;ress Back the Transatlantic Flight?-Maybe!

control of all army aeronautical matters,
through department of military aeronau-
tics, with General Menoher at the head of
it and with General Kenly under him as
head Of the flying force.
The General Staff is very jealous Of its
authority, is opposed to separate depart
ment of the air and even to degree of in
dependence within the War Department.
Moreover, it views aeronautics as merely
sort of minor appendix and relegates it
to an inferior place as compared with
other arms of the military service. The
General Staf's plan for numbers and size
of the establishment is probably as large
as could be expected in time of peace
and is likely to be larger than Congress
will ultimately allow but the status as
signed to military acronautics is inferior to
that of cavalry, artillery and infantry, and
the plan of administration still further en-
phasizes the subordinate position assigned
to it. Instead of being separate corps, its
higher officers are to be drawn from other
branches Of the army, and there is little
chance of promotion for the real military
aviators, with the probable result that not
many Of the best fiers will remain in the
service. The personnel under the General
Staff proposal would number about ~ 900
officers and men,
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23

Germany there were about $500 men and
women employed in the airplane industry
in different parts of the United States. In
June, 1917, this number had increased only
to 1928, and a year later 64,297 persons were
employed by thirteen concerns making
planes for the government and twelve
making engines. On November II the
total of employees had become 175,ooo The
Allies were asking US to make engines for
them during all of 1918, and took all thew
could get and asked for more. One thing
they depended on US for was castor OIL
which is used extensively in airpanes.
There were 100000 acres planted to the
castor bean in this country last summer.
Millions and millions of Milford Taxpay
er's dollars went into flying fields and
aeronautical stations. Up to the spring of
1917 we had only two Of any account-at
Mlneola, L. l., and San Diego, Cal.-and
those IN use only to limited extent. Our
first flying field at College Park, Nd,
established in 1911, had long since become
out of date. Within six weeks of the ont
break of war three more fields had been
selected, cleared, equipped and made ready
1or lying. BY the end of year we had
twenty fields in use, and when the fighting
ended we had thirty-six flying fields in
this country, situated all the way across
the country between Mineola and San
Diego and one in the Panama Canal Zone.
IN addition we had fourteen supply depots
ecross the country, three repair depots, two
acceptance parks, one experimental field
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23
What About
Our War Machines?

Nothing is being done to utilize either
the material and machines accumulated dur
ing the war in excess of peace requirements
or the experienced aviators who will not be
retained IN the small peace establishments
Little or no attention has been paid to the
suggestion of Alan R. Hawley, president of
the Aero Club of America, for the creation
OF United States aerial transport cor
poratlon, to take over and make commercial
use Of the $8OO,OOO,OOO worth of equipment
that the army and navy cannot use. and util-
lze them in the establishment and operation
of commercial aerial transport lines.
Altogether there are about $1,000 avia-
ton motors and $4,000 planes of various
kinds, most of which will not long be suit
able for military use, besides vast ouanti-
ties OF machinery and raw materials. that
are now in storage without single general
plan for their salvage or utilization in any
way. No body or organization is charged
with general and central responsibility, and
there is no more forethought for peace than
there was for war. In the stress of the
closing days Of a disgruntled and weary
Congress there is no time or energy avail
able for formulation of programmes that
should have been worked out by some
central organization that does not exist and
never will exist if the various iealous
centres of divided control are not el;ni-
ro{o6
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23

Now a government flying field consists of
$40 acres of clear grassland has twelve
hangers of standard substantial construc-
ton and requires thousand men to run it.
The air service maintains general sup
ply depots at Buffalo and at Garden City,
l.. l., and at Americus, Ga; Fairfield Ohio;
Houston and San Antonio, Tex; Middle
town, Penn; Richmond and Morrison, Va;
Little Rock, Ark; Los Angeles, Cal, and
two at Washington, d. c. The repair
depots are at Indianapolis Dallas, Tex
and Montgomery, Ala. The only testing
field is at Wilbur Wright field, Dayton,
Ohio, and acceptance parks are at Dayton
and in Detroit. New York, Newport News;
Philadelphia and Baltimore are the ports
of embarkaton for the air service
Training goes on at all the flying fields
and the service also has maintained ground
schools at the University of California.
Cornell, Princeton, University of Illinois
and University of Texas; radio officers
schools at Columbia and at Penn field, Aus
tin, Tex; mechanics school at Carnegie
institute, at Pittsburgh; Photographic
schools at Rochester, Ithaca, N. Y. and at
Fort Ethan Allen, near Plattsburg, and air
service mechanics at Kelly field. San An
tonic, and st. Paul. We have eight balloon
schools in this country, too, the largest
being at Fort Omaha, Neb.
We begin to see those millions being
placed in circulation, but there is lot
more to this end of the subject; ". h7ve,
said nothing about France, where the
United States has flying fields, repair
depots and all sorts of schools. No ons
on this side can as yet go into details
about that.
The little flying force we had in April.
1917, was lost in the growth Of our air
forces long before November, 1918. On
the eleventh of that month the roster of
the service showed 1880 flying officers
and 133,644 men. or the officers 4,776 were
overseas and 70,12s men were with them,
leaving 1854 officers and 65,516 enlisted
men in this country.
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23

Sundstedt's, contemplate making ths ri.
two legs, from west to east, with ths - =
vailing winds, the first leg being from ~ sss'
foundland to the island Of San Miep., y
the Azores, and thence to Portugal. n. - -
mer distance being 1,1OO nautical mi., ~, ~ !,
the latter 675. Captain Sundstedt er,.s1
to fly from New York to Newfouns,.s
and thence directly across to ireland :,
water gap between the two big island, h.,.
about 1900 miles.
1t is pointed out, however. that -
withstanding the distance fight claim. =.
tributed to Captain Sundstedt, there :, ~
authentic record Of any airplane h,,,.
flown continuously the equivalent Of .hs A..
tance from Newfoundland to the Azors. :.
that if he flies from Newfoundland n y.
land he will accomplish a feat that =,
has no parallel in experience.
Military and naval aviation exper, =.
Washington do not deny that Captain s,,s
stedt may have solved some problems tbs,
are still battling them and NAV lucs;,~
achieve the, distinction of being the srs.
to travel by the air route from Ams,,..
to Europe, but for their own adventr,.,
on this unknown route they prefer to mn
pare so carefully and study the proh.em .,
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23

for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1920
carries a total of s2o,ooo,oOO for army
aeronautics in all forms in addition to the
pay of the personnel, but leaves the organ
ization and direction of aviation matters
entirely to the discretion of the War De-
partment. This, however, is only a make
shift bill for the readjustment period and
does not undertake to establish the out
lines of the permanent military establish
ment. Half of the $20,o00,ooo is for military
service and half for the Bureau of Air
craft Production. These sums are exclusive
of the nay personnel, which is approximate
ly $4,000 and is supposed to represent about
1000 flying units.
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23

bat planes. We produced the former and
were we'll into the latter on November II.
Listen to Lieutenant H. H. Emmons, who
left an extensive law practice in Detroit for
naval commission, and was in charge of
all aircraft engine production for the Joint
board: "Of the immense amount of material
never before used for war which we pro-
duced, more aircraft and more engines got
to the front in time for the final fight than
OF any other kind. We made the 5000 train
Ing planes, too, and 10000 engines to 90
into them, and all were delivered into SER
vice before the armistice was signed.
ION the combat engine side we were
obliged to develop the Liberty engine On
May 1e, 1917, the first stroke Of pen for
its design was made and in six weeks time.
on July 4, the first engine was delivered
in Washington ready to run. Then it was
extended to twelve-cylinder engine and the
first Of those passed the ifty-hour test
and was ready for quantity production on
August rs. Several hundred were produced
at 800 horsepower, then we increased to 375
horsepower, produced 400 or 500 moro and
finally increased to over 400 horsepower.
Many changes were required for this most
powerful engine, but on May 20, 1918, a
year from beginning work on it, we had de-
hyered into service more than 1,100 Liberty
engines. When the armistice came we were
delivering $50 complete engines, ready to
run, every working day"
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23
Mr.. Kahn Goes
To Europe

When legislation covering the permanent
aerial military establishment comes up in
the next Congress it will have strong
friend in Representative julius Kahn, of
California, who will then be chairman of
the House Military Affairs Committee, be-
ing now the ranking Republican member.
MIR, Kahn was strongly in favor of an in
dependent air service during the war. but.
like Senator Chamberlain, he is not sure
that it is desirable in time of peace, though
he does hold that there should be some sort
of centralized control Of all forms of GOV
ernment aeronautics, civil or military.
However, Mr.. Kahn says that he is Of an
open mind on this subject, and when he
goes to Europe, right after March 4, to
make studies and observations that will
give him additional preparation for his
position as chairman of the Military Affairs
Committee, he proposes to give special at
tention to the British system of an indie
pendent air administration. Mr. Kahn holds
that it is hardly possible to overestimate
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23

seas and the balloon cadets, s29 in num-
Der, were all on this side.
The organization of our air forces 10
based on $50 men to a squadron, and
planes and four squadrons maks up a unit
field. On November II there were 401 total
units in the air service and 148 school
detachments. Of the 401 units 181 were
in France, 115 in the United States and
los in England, where our aviation forces
got considerable Of their training. There
were 39 construction companies Of brck-
layers and laborers, 20 at home and ls IN
England; four air service mechanics regi-
ments, all in France; SO balloon companies
81 here and 38 in France, and 81 photo
graphic sections, % in France, so at home
and in England.
The first large unit to sail consisted o.
200 men to construct an aviation school IN
France, which left New York July 3, 1911
under command of First Lieutenant L. 9
Churchill. The first detachment of cadets
left not long after-10 officers and so men,
commanded by Captain James Z. Mnief'
More than 70 squadrons, many from Eng
land and some from France, have been sent
home since the armistice, TO say nothing
of construction companies, photograph"
sections and acceptance parks.
Up to November the total casualties ID
the United States air service amounted |"
S38 in France and 1924 IN this county,
the main causes being tailspns and coz
lisions. Training casualties in the United
States average 1875 hours of flying pe'
caSrsity and 3,474 hours of flying PEI
tAtalA>sc.
But for the asmistice nussA-r o. nss
types of aiyplanes developed 10 this c0aR-
try would have come into use Among tes
most interesting of these is the fssteS'
plane in the world, a Curtiss triplane
which has maintained a speed of 16O miles
an hour on official navy test and climps
$4,000 feet in 10 minutes with the fui
military load of 100 pounds. This u
fifteen miles an hour faster than any otae'
craft has ever flown. 1t has twelve
cylinder 400 horsepower engine and wS'
built for the navy. This plane is entireH
of American design and essentially d'hei
ent from other American or any Europesa
design. 1t has a new type of engine wh'''
weighs % per cent less than the hgntes'
in any military plane. The 'planA isnos
at go miles an hour. It was first howu ~
Roland Rohlfs, con Of Anna Ksthssn
~~~~~" . 49, s--~--~>
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23

Assistant Secretary of War, but the navy
went its own triple bureau aviation way
until the last, and is still pursuing it, Be-
sides the army and navy bureaus we had
the Aircraft Board, which gradually sank
into innocuous desuetude; the Advisory
Committee on Aeronautics and the joint
Army and Navy Technical Board, each with
finger in the aviation muddle. Inside the
army, with It's distribution of authority,
there was always the General Staff to reckon
with. While Mr.. Ryan was in the saddle
the General Staff went into discreet retire
ment, but as soon as he resigned it reas-
serted its authority and is now in supreme
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23
The Flying
Fields

Inc majority of the flying fields are in
the South, where the climate is such that
1t is easier to fly all through the wear.
That IS to say, the army fields are; the
navy's flying boats need no fields, and i'm
portant stations like Cape May N. j., and
PENSACOLA, Fla, are the Headquarters of
the navy 4ers. They do work of moment.
but compared with the armys aviation Sec
tlon are not numerous
AT Mineola the first reserve wing has
three fields Hazlehurst, Mitchell and
Roosevelt, and three others near hv. Rr;nd-
ley, at Commack; Henry j. Damn. at
Babylon, and Lufbery at Wantaph oil
under the command of Lieutenant Colonel
Mlllard r. Harman, jr., who commands this
wing. The only other flying fields in the
East are Baker field, at Rochester, N. Y.
Boiling field, at Anacbstia, opposite Wash
ington, D. c., and Langley Field. at Hamn-
ton' Va, which is the observers school.
Texas has more than any other state,
with twelve, including Camp Dick, the
cadet gunnery camp at Dallas There are
three at San Antonio. French field is at
Cocoa Walk, Canal Zone.
Before the war a flying field was a very
informal affair, any large plot that would
DO TO land on and big shed for hangar.
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23
Where the u. S.
Stood in Quantity

or the elementary training planes we had
3,746 OF the Curtiss JN 4-D in service in
this country on November IL. and 1000
Standard il planes, and we had 2,474 ad-
vanced training planes in the United
States. We had also 1,342 De Haviland 4s.
the most used type Of combat plane, on this
side when Germany collapsed, and one Hand
icy-Page, the big bombing plane Meantime,
we had shipped across TO the boys in Franco
1855 Do Haviland Is and 204 Do Haviland
es, 100 Handlsy-Pags planes and two Lusao
IIs.
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23

would include under its authority all ihe
aviation and aeronauticel activities now
controlled separately by the army, navy
and marine corps. Despairing Of getting
any action on this proposal at present he
plans to attach to the military appropria-
tions bill rider that will provide for the
continuation of experimental and develop
mental work relating to aircraft and their
uses, and will press vigorously for it's adop-
tion when the military appropriations bill
comes up next week.
The above mentioned appropriations BILL
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23
By Theodore M. Knappen
WASHINGTON. Februar

WASHINGTON, February %.
HNHE future OF aviation far as the
United States government is con-
cerned is nothing less than chaotic.
There is no general programme
evolved or even distantly in sight, either
on the part of the Executive or of Congress-
In the absence of any constructive or even
directive programme the military aviation
forces built I'D by the army and navy during
the war are dissolving, officers are returning
to private life and the great industrial plants
that sprang up during the war and attained
a world surprising output are not only idle
but are being dismantled. So confused is
the situation and so many the dstracting
elements that the pessimistic think it is
hopeless and predict that within another
year the United States will be almost as
far behind in the development of aviation
as 1t was at the beginning of the war
It Is pointed out that after watching the
war in Europe for three years, with its tre-
mendous development and multiple uses of
aircraft, we were practically as unprepared
in respect to military aviation when the war
began IS we were three years before. The
same laissez faire tendency is now expected
to result in failure to meet the post-bel-
lum situation, with the result that, while
European governments. both directly and
indirectly. through their encouragement
OF private industry and research, are vigor-
ously continuing the development and ex-
ploitstion Of aircraft and all forms Of
aerial transport, we will do little or moth
ing and that what we shall do will be done
in such divided and desultory way that
the results will be Inadequate
After making full allowance for our lack
Of preparedness and the consequent immen-
sity of the task the country undertook
with respect to aviation after the war began
1t Is now generally admitted by those who
have reviewed the course Of our military
aeronautics during the war that the chief
cause Of failure to accomplish more than
we did was the lack of a central control of
all government activities in this direction.
Toward the end of the war the aviation
afairs Of the army were concentrated un-
der the headship of John D. Ryan, as an
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23
By ]. Olin Howe

"HE man in the street has for months
wanted to know what he got for
moro than a billion dollars which
Z. the United States spent on aircraft
after we entered the war. He paid the bill
by buying Liberty bonds and war savings
stamps, but they haven't itemized it for
nin. To be sure, there was the Congress-
ional investigation and the Hughes COM
mittee also investigated, but previous to No.
vember II the censorship was always work
ing and Well, anyway, what did they
do with the money?
Listen to John D. Ryan, big business man.
brought IN last year to take charge of tho
aircraft programme: aircraft production in
this country had to start at the beginning
and md its way from nothing. Our manu-
isssufers built an organization for the
manufacture Of aircraft which certainly has
never been eaualled in the world. and cana.
cialiy in the time in which r. v.. aon.
FROM the time we began building we buils
more engines and moro planes. month to~
month, than any nation in the war hr,,+
from the time 1t began, and We had noor.
ready, month for month, than any other
nation. On the day the armistice was signed
ne had s8e planes at the port Of embarka.
tfon. which could rot be loaded for lack Of
ship space"
You see. We invented and originated the
airpnne in this country and then becam.
10 busy qusrrelling about who should have
the credit for it that we left It. for other
nations to develop and find uses for. When
tho United States got into the war our .v;a-
ton force consisted of s5 officers and 12o
men, and we had grand total of 11s planes
received during the nine years previous and
considerably over half Of them received IN
1915.
year and half ago peopls were talk
Ing about focks Of airpIanes to darken tho
German sky much - they would Of nocks
Ut swa1iows. but the programme Of the Joint
army and navy board 3slled for 1900 train
tss .risnss snd something over 10000 com.
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23
American Record
So Far

The American record for sustained fight
measured in time, was made by Lieutenant
Iallaferro, in September, 1915, with 9 hours
and AZ minutes in the air. The best CORE
spending American naval aviation record
was made January % last, by Ensign F.
Dalrymple at Miami, Fla, the time being
9 hours and 81 minutes. The latter's ma
chine was propelled by Liberty motor but
even if he had maintained the maximum
speed Of 1876 miles an hour for the whole
time he would barely have equalled the dis
tance from Newfoundland to ireland. In
such a fight an average speed of 80 miles
an hour would be about the top limit, so
that to cover in single fight 1880 land
miles, between newfoundland and San
Miguel, the successful flying ship will have
TO stay in the air about fourteen hours.
While a translantic fight, as mere
isolated aeronautical stunt, might not have
much value in itself and might be a far
advanced pioneer, of any worthwhile COM
mercial use Of such route, it is viewed as
q worthy enterprise, because of the stimu-
lating effect that it would have on the real
ization of plans in the near future for long
distance aerial transport overland and as
a means of convincing the world that aerial
transport has arrived, just as Bleriot's flight
across the British Channel convinced a
doubling world that heavier -than-air ma
chimes could really travel for considerable
distances.
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23

Our records are complete only to July I
OF last year. but after that we were less
and less dependent on the Allies for air
planes.
Balloons for the use Of tho United States
army observers were made on tho other
side and the records as to those are not
complete. Oh, yes, some Of Mr.. Private
Citizens money went into balloons. They
are as essential as airplancs. On this side
OF the water when Germany quit we had
1923 balloons and so winches.
When the United States declared war on
New-York tribune., 1919-02-23
The Transatlantic
Flight

The subject Of the proposed transat
lantic fight is viewed with mild interest
in Congress, though all the friends of ayia
tion in that branch of the government would
like to see an American plane or airship
to be the first to cross the ocean. Both tho
army and navy have been working separaxr-
ly on plans for a transatlantic fight for
next summer, and there appears to be some
jealous rivalry between them in this con-
nection The army aviation authorities arc