Arizona republican., 1919-02-24

they reported that their leader was no more. Gradually as the men became reconciled to the tragedy they told how it all happened. ] heard from the men who had gone on the trip with the lieu tenant that he lost his formation once and found it again. owing to his poor vision, he lost 1t again. He found a squad lOiling about in the clouds. His poor eyesight led him to believe that the ships were ours. He flew right into them. What chance did the poor fel- low have"
 That's the true story of the death of Lieutenant Quentin Roosevelt. Any man in the Ninety first aero squadron will tell you the same narrative.
 Why. when I landed at Issudon thought I was a flyer. Here's the re- ception l got from the officer in charge Of the outfit: Just because you have tin bars on your shoulders you are not officers; you are only flying lieuten- ants
 "L.ieutenont Roosevelt heard how We were greeted upon our arrival at the French aviation camp. He sure did throw it into us that night He made us feel that we were wonders. not boobs. as the regular army man had intimated.
 I've seen men go up in the air and do all manner of acrobatic stunts. fly | ing around for couple of hours. When one came down another man would be waiting for the ship. The second avia- | tor would take that ship and probably ! would get but 50 yards when the mo- | tor would go dead. Sometimes the man | was killed. sometimes he escaped. In | the event of his escaping he was pun | ished by being placed on ground work | for three weeks.
 In the royal flying corps if man had smash up nothing was said to him. lie was given another ship and sent up again. England did not care how many ships were broken so long as the man did not lose his nerve. Ouf men. however. lost their nerve immedi ately on arriving at inc station. We had it Wrung from us by the autocratiC and domineering officers and sub- alterns who made our lives miserable from the day we arrived until the sign ing Of the armistice
 Do the people 6f the country know ! that on the day the armistice was signed we had but Il0 pilots on tho rolls at the front Do you know thaI you were told that there were ! |. .00i American air service pilots. whereas there were bust 5l0 in the zone of ad- vance on the froHt2 Ask any of th, boys in the air force and they vii corrohorate these statements. The, will tell you that an this huu~iing ant loss Of morale among the men Of thD flying corps was due Co ineffriency il tho rear.
 Scarcity of Airmen
 During the Arsonnc drive ther. were but le pilots and observers do. ing the work There was not @ squad ron on the front with its full quote We were supposed to have 1N pilot and iS observers We had noithe pilots nor observers.
 Mind vou. We had hundreds of me- ready and willing to risk their live anytime. but owinG to tho iuoffici,no- of the x. D. < ~.G tho orc 3l the mo- had gone throuch at the hands Of th men who actually hated as the moral uf the men Was entirely broken Wh, shouldn't the men become discourage, when they would hear officers sa' after a man had been killed at issudor not that they had lost man. but th4 they had lost a shipg
 One major up at the front actuall sent word back Co the training statiu' at Issudon not t1 send any more pilot like those l2 men who had been as signed Co work over tho enemy's lines The major wrote that the mems spirit