Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-13

sideration, though the fundamental
objection is not SO much personal az
military. Men who have not had ex-
perience in flying do not understand
the art or the remarkable part IL
played overseas in winning the war
Indeed. the time is coming when the
theoretical views of the officers who
were unfortunately compelled to stay
on this side of the ocean Will connict
very strikingly with the practical
views of the men who actually saw
the immense operations in France.
The air service men are fighting hard
to get an independent air service at
| this time. for they believe If they lose
the pilots and experienced observers
who are now in the Army they Will
not soon recover them, and the les
! sons of the European war will not be
taught future youths by men who
know the air game from nrst mana
contact. Already the air service is go
I ing to pieces. Though members OF ane
House military affairs committee have
suggested a remedy, the War Depart
| ment has not changed its orders.
whereby the air service Will lose
about 1000 experienced pilots by the
end of next month: Only 200 ofncers
men. OF the 1000 about half are
plots.
The air service men wanted to keep
! at least 5000 as a nucleus for future
! expansion and development. So the
| responsibility for Americas air plans
| will rest upon the preEont admins
tration of the War Department Sec
rotary Baker has just convened a board
to investigate the advisability OF
| having a separate air service But
| and one aviation officer as a record
| ing secretary. Practically all have
| indicated by testimony to Congress
| or otherwise that they oppose a sep
| arate air service. So there is much
| depression in the quarters OF air
! service men. who feel that men who
| know nothing about flying from a
| practical viewpoint, men VINO oidn I
| fight the Huns in the air and VINO
! are chiefly interested in developing
| their own branches of warfare are
! standing in judgment on a vital arm
| of national defense and are dlrectiy
! ignoring the recommendations ana
| views Of the experts of Great Brit
/ ain, France and Italy, who have ap-
| propriated hundreds of millions OF
| amounts wholly out of proportion 10
| their expenditures for the other
branches of warfare in the past.
| But the problem has another Big
nificance. Will the flying men OF the
American expeditionary forces innu-
ence American military policy or Will
the officers of the general stan OF
| the Army who didn't participate IN
| the operations abroad? The argu-
ment of the airmen amounts substan-
| TALLY to this:
| Arguments of Airmen.
The experiences of war have con-
clusiveIy proved that a state needs
q great air force for use against an
enemy Immediately on the outbreak
of war, and that air force will be the
l. H. <1> sosx
prise attack can be made. The re-
suit of this has been that the great
powers have recognized not only this,
but that it must be developed essen
! TALLY from an air standpoint and not
| from an army or naval one.
An army and a navy require only
one kind Of aviation for their particu-
lar domestic use-that Is, observation
| which directly assists them in local
reconnaissance, in the adjustment OF
their artillery and other fire and in
maintaining contact between their va
rious elements in combat. All the rest
of the aviation-pursuit, lombard
ment and Attacks used against the
enemy aviation or against enemy
ground or water elements. 1t may be
used Unfortunately against either
During war the mass of aviation may
act with their army or navy wher-
! ever the decision is sought. BY being
trained as an auxiliary to army and
navy forces no Independent offensive
strength is developed.
Rivalry of the two old services has
already caused many a difiiculty. Joint
operation boards have. however, re-
moved friction. A third difficulty has
now arisen. How shall the fighting
weapons of the land, the sea and the
air be co-ordinated and each given the
attention and funds which are legiti-
mateiy required in the light of Eu-
ropean experience to make the United
States safe against aerial lombard
ment?
Copyright, 1917