The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-10
BAKER WOULD SELL
AIRCRAFT AS JUNK


would yield but a small percentage
Of the original cost
8. To sell at private bidding T.
100000 yards OF airplane linen at
terms equally disastrous to the Gov
ernn emit, however favorable TO the
bidders.
6. To abandon 80 aerodromes and
balloon depots at an immense sacri-
fee and without the slightest pro-
vision for the future OF commercial
aeronautics.
Z. To kill at blow an industry
(the manufa cture OF airplane motors
and airplanes and spare parts)
which under any announcement
might be expected TO grow into one
OF the substantial Industries OF the
country. and which certainly would
be indispensable II the United states
is to keep pace with Great Britain:
s. To deprive many thousands OF
skilled laborers, urgently needed TOT
years to come. of work and TO throw
them into other occupations, thus
contributing to labor unrest and ma
terially increasing the problem OF
reconstruction.
v. Destroy INC SbiGIIulu
OF the air service by robbing the
service of identity and requiring
that officers of the service may only
be obtained by temporary detail from
among officers OF corresponding
grades In other branches, thus serv-
ing notice on young officers OF dem
onstrated efficiency during the war
that they cannot hope for many
years to exercise positions or COM
mand and responsibility in any way
equal to the positions they earned
by the intelligence, devotion ana
courage of their war service.
10. To deny TO the inventive
genius OF America and the manufac
turing intelligence and energy OF
America the opportunity, even the
right, to carry the country Forward
to the frst place in commercial and
military aeronsutics. or at ieast 10
a place equal TO that which Great
Britain now seeks.
Support for These Statements.
These statements are made by sena.
or New, whose array OF taSls anu
whose conclusions are supported ny COL
ea cues In the Senate as we'll as by TINS
unanimous agreement OF every unbiased
engineer and authority IN
he country. The question put by senator
New Is will the people of the United
States consent TO this disastrous pro-
zramme before an investigation can Dc
had and before the next Congress car
register its Wilt" There will be enough
and enough patriotic Demo
Gratis In the. Sixty-sixth Congress to stoI
L II the people make themselves heard.
Here Is a sample OF what the Secre
tsry OF War proposes to do: Airplanes
Of the Curtiss JN-+ type, all in frs
class condition, each costing around
10000 are now offered to ono OF th'
best advertised private manufacturers II
the country one on remarkably friendl,
terms with the Administration, for abou
5 to 10 cents on the Substantially
But the Secretary OF War purposes q
deliver the junked equipment at si'
different points in the country at thu
cost. This cost, which
would amount to at least Sl,50o.ooo
would eat up about all the Government
could get at the junk sale.
These airplanes cost, roughly, Sl6.
600 900. without considering Replacement
parts, transportation costs and hun
dred other items of necessary expene'
attached TO the efficient maintenance
Of every training and service plane. TIL
Secretary OF War purposes to sell then
for S2,000,000 or less and then to pa,
the cost OF delivery charges, amounting
to perhaps s1,500,0o0.
II the Treasury got 100000 for SIS.
100000 worth of aircraft It would b
most fortunate. investigators have al
ready found. A similar situation apple
10 sirplane motors, TO the great reserve
fn
Thousand other items OF equipment.
May Create Airplane Trust.
All Of this, under the plan. Is to b
dumped upon the market for song, Wit
the probable result, in the opinion o
Mr.. New and other authorities, OF Great
ing an airplane trust highly profltabl
TO one or two favored private manufac
turers and OF running the business o
scores of other manufacturers. deprivin
100000 skilled workmen Cat the leas
calculation) of labor and dealing t
American aviation such a blow as
could not recover from in twenty years
Senator New with the support, as ha
been said, of a majority of the new Con
gress, including number of Democrats
proposes to establish a department o
and duties almost, II not quite, as i'm
portant for the future Of the countr
as are the mission and duties of tn
War and Navy Departments. Its hea
need not necessarily be a Cabinet officer
n the President does not wish to "se
him too often" as Senator New navel
remarked but its efficiency undoubtedl
would be increased by giving the hea
seat in the Cabinet. But what 1t woul
do in Mr.. News conception would be I
make everybody's business somebody's.
At present the Army, Navy. Marin
Corps and Poetoffice Departments ar
pursuing divergent paths that lead (
rowhere, conflicting, half develope
plans that will result only in extrAva
CANT expenditure with little progress o
none ct all. and all devoid Of any res
policy for the future.
Senator News Comment.
"Just think of this for a momer
from the standpoint Of good bushes
men, said Senator New to-day. Her
are three or four departments of a sir
gle corporation, each with its own 81
of engineers and designers, bulldin
machines of different makes, competln
with each other at every turn, dupl
eating organization and operating ea
penses and coordlnating at no pom
No business organization worthy of tn
Lame would pursue such methods.
IT the standard Oil and the Ste
Corporation were to begin to-day to cor
duct their business in that fashion the
would be in the hands OF receivers b.
fore midsummer. It Is just as esseI
tial and important TO the success of u
Government that 1t follow correl
methods as It IL TO a private corpor'
ton. II we are to compete with Grei
Britain In thA wonderful field oP aer