The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-17
DEPLORES LACK OF
AERONAUTICALLAW
f. c. Diffen Says Filters Should
Not Be Allowed to I'm
peril Citizens.
SEES LOSS OF PRESTIGE
Declares War Time Gains Will
Be Lost Unless Congress
Acts Soon.

Apathy and ignorance in Washington
are responsible for the fact that the
United States is the only civilized ma
ton which has no laws for the control
Of aircraft, according to Frederick G.
Diffen, president of the United Aircraft
Engineering Corporation, who has just
returned from FIVE weeks investigation
of air activity in Great Britain. Our
present status in aircraft construction
he says, despite the lessons of the war,
is exactly where 1t Was in 1914.
"There is plenty of law to prevent
a ten-year-old boy running amuck with
an automobile on Fifth avenue" said
Mr.. Diffen yesterday, but no possible
way to prevent any lunatic from climb
ing into any airplane he can find and
sailing a few hundred feet over the ave-
nue. as one man did during the Per-
shing parade, actually imperilling the
lives of hundreds of spectators. Things
do happen to airplanes. When they are
at propert altitude or over proper fields
| 1t is all right. But a few hundred feet
over-Fifth avenue means catastrophe in
case oil accldent. let lhere ~ Hon ny
way to prevent it."
| Mr. Diffen, as part OF his fight for the
advancement of aviation in this country
has prepared appendices to the pending
aviation bill before Congress which will
at least lay the foundation for legal
| control of the air. He Is shocked at
| the apathy in Washington over aviation.
| Great Britain" he says, sis spending
| s324,00O,0 900 in the next five years.
| There is not a single Government order
| in execution in this country so far as
| l can find out for more than odd plane
here and there"
He says that throughout Britain the
development of AVIATION is apparent.
| Factories are humming and production
is going on. Men responsible for the
programme say plainly that it is their
intention to maintain Great Britain in
| the same rank in the air as she has
| maintained at sea-mistress.
when We entered the war" said Mr..
| Diffen, I'VE had just per cent OF the
material necessary for the aircraft pro-
gramme We had to create 90 per cent
of it 1t took us fifteen months to get
into quantity production. To-day the
| situation is exactly where 1t was when
we started out.
According to the opinion which Mr.
Diffen shares with. most persons. officia
and unofficial, connected with aviation
little progress will be made until avia
ton men are permitted 20 lay down the
Governments policy. In this he sees the
necessity for the separate department
of aviation, for which legislation is nov
pending.
Private manufacturers, he points out
are doing all they can for the further
ance of the industry. This. however, II
necessarily limited by the lack of prof
| in any OF the early ventures. His owl
corporation has carefully figured out tn
cost of New York-Chlcago air service
for example. This will amount to NOR
, than $4,000, 900 before 1t can be started
Municipal landing fields. he believes
are necessity under present conditions
Private interests cannot maintain ade
! /, quate fields at profit. Yet their main
, tenance by municipalities would not onl,
! be cheaper but, as it is aimed at de
velopment In which all will benefit. h
; believes that it is a justifable municipa
! expenditure.
without both national and municipa
aid, however, the infant American air
: plane industry which made such giar
strides during the war is doomed t
perish of malnutrition.