The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-05-22
.DIRIGIBLE SCOUTS
NEXT INNOVATION
j. S. NAVY PLANS
Officers Predict Construction
Of Fleet of Lighter Than
Air Type Flyers Will Be
Recommended by Board.


WASHINGTON. May 22.-construo-
ton OF a fleet Of scouting aircraft OF
the ~dirislble, or lighter than air. we
as an adjunct to the, American naval
forces is expected by well-informed
naval officers TO be recommendad bv
the general board OF the navy in il
report to be submitted within a few
days 10 secretary Daniels. While the
report, which has been in preparation
Ior the past month, probably will in
on the naval service, the section deal
ing with development OF a peacetina
aerial policy IL considered Of greatest
Importance.
The new naval air policy. some off
GERS believe, will include recommenda.
tons that the United States adopt a
type of aircraft heretofore not used in
connection with the naval establish.
ment, based on the fundamental prin-
ciples OF the German Zeppelin plus i'm
provements worked out by Great Brit
am n ideas gained by American air
the recent flight OF the lost dirigible
foundland.
Secretary Daniels, In discussing the
program, said that In his opinion the
navy should make no effort toward
any large aerial expansion during the
ne bulk OF It's effort in experiments
ton and improvement on existing tyne.
the secretary expressed the opinion
mat funds appropriated for the air
craft program should be used for this
purpose rather than for any great in
crease In flying fields, ground schools
or in building large quantities Of new
mSrhines,
Mr. Daniels said that while he be-
lle'ed 80 eiIICisnt flying force propor-
Tomato to the size OF the fleet should
always be in readiness, ne ala not
NM that large sums should be ex-
oped types Of aircraft, kEs pointed a'V out
that the trans Atlantic flight HAD al
ready shown defects in the NC tyne
seaplaneR. which are now far In ad.
vance Of the development along this
Ilne reached by any other country. He
anticipated further flights Of this char
acter as new airplanes and lighter.
than-air craft are developed. the idea
Of the experimental flights baing to test
the machines under the hardest con-
ditiona possible.
Little Attention.
Little attention has been paid by the
navy IN the past to lighter than aAir
aerial development, and very little
equipment OF that nature has been con-
siructed beyond n few 'blimps'' de-
signed purely for coast patrol duty.
While a large, fleet Of heavier than air
machines with q well-trained and nn.
merically sufficient personnel, was built
up. during the war, the question Of
building the balloon or dirigible type
hardly was touched.
The extraordinary flight last week
Of the, C.6,. II was learned. has done
ton Of naval experts, and at the navy
department the opinion prevails that
the C-6 easily could have made the
fight across the Atlantic with a heavy
load. One great advantage OF the
nghter-thAn-air type as opposed to the
airplane or seaplane, Officers said, IL
thai even though machines OF the for
mer type meet with serious mAchan-
lcal difficulty while in flight the ma
chine can remain in the air for an
Indefinite period while the damage is
being repaired.
a. careful study W the relative merits
Of different types OF aircraft evolved
during the war, paying particular at
tention to tho Zeppelin and rigid gas
bag types in use by the allies. OFF,
GERS believe that should the general
board make the recommendation and
congress approve II, this country can
get practically an even start with for.
elRn nations In the manufacture OF this
type and even profit by the eSperi.
mental mistakes 81 the other nations.
Contained Provision.
The naval bill, which was lost IN a
srist Of uncompleted legislation at the
close OF the last congress-, ana which
probably viii be reihtroduced during
the special session, contained an APP
preparation OF $4,000, 900 for the devel-
opment OF the lighter than -Air ma
chine. II 10 considered almost certain
that the general board In It's report
viii recommend that this appropriation
be Incorporated In the bill the present
con gress will consider.
AZ the outbreak Of the war the navy
had legs than 30 qualified aviators.
Hundred OF pilots, observers and me-
charles were drawn to the service from
eiVil MS and now constitute a valuable
asset to the service. The naval bill,
AZ proposed, provides that only 500 ok
these civilian flyers be retained In the
service and the remainder sent back
TO civil life, While II Ia not probable
that any change will be made In this
the necessity for formulating some plan
whereby these civilian flyers may be
kept IN training and IN touch with de-
velopments In order that they may ba
INN ediately available In time Of emer-
kency.
In studying the uses Of various typos
OF aircraft In connection with the fleets,
naval officers have about reached the
conclusion that the best plan Ia to
build immense aircraft centers at the
various fleet bases, thus making the
planes available for operations with
the ships, 1t is believed that battle
ships and cruisers Of the future viii