Evening star., 1919-12-07
DEMUR TO SEPARATE
SERVICE FOR AIRMEN
Naval Experts Explain Why Flyers, How
ever Competent, Cannot Hope to Com
pete With Army and Navy Officers
BY r. NJ. KAUFMAN.

-rhe duties of a naval aviator in
clude those of a naval officer. Any
flyer detailed to cooperate with the
Navy in war operations by a sepa-
-ate and distinct department of aero
nautics. such as is contemplated in
legislation submitted to Congress, no
matter how competent or how daring.
would not be naval officer and
hence would not do.
The foregoing statement sets forth
the principal objection prevailing
among American naval officers to any
such separate department. ranking
with the Army and Navy as an
agency of offense and defense and
relieving both arms of their aeria,
duties.
A naval officer can be. and some
times is, an aviator, but the converse
is not true. A flyer furnished for
naval service by a third branch, advo-
Gated in some quarters, would not be
primarily a naval officer. with corre-
spending limitations on his useful
ness. AS one English officer has
out it:
"A soldier is a soldier and sailor
is a sailor. and what is called an air
man may be either, but he cannot
possibly be BOTH,
There are other interesting views
held in naval circles. not all of which,
with their underlying reasons, have
been given publicity Naval officers
have plenty of additional objections.
based on certain specific administra-
tive and technical angles of the plan.
wearers of the blue and gold do not
concern themselves greatly with how
the Army feels about it, although
claiming that only a part of the land
forces favor the project. What they
are looking out for is the United
States Navy and its chances OF sue
cess in the next war. They consider
their branch as the first and most es-
sential line of defense. and no mat
ter what arrangements obtain for
the Army. they want the response
bility and the glory of doing their
own job in their own way. They
want only their own men on that job
running their ships on the surface,
their submarines under the surface
and their aircraft in the air above the
surface. ,s
Would Be Fish Out of Water.
As one man stationed here. himself
not a flyer. although keenly inter-
ested in flying, has put it:
AN aviator detailed to the feet for
temporary duty from a department of
aeronautics would be a fish out of
water"
That practically all naval officers
are adverse to the separate depart
ment scheme has been testified to by
no less a person than Franklin D.
Roosevelt. the assistant secretary of
the Navy. At a recent hearing before
the Senate military affairs committee
which was considering the Senate bill
creating the third arm. he said:
Not only the Navy Department Of
ficially, but the entire naval service
is absolutely opposed to the creation
of another and separate branch of
national defense"
He was corroborated Vice Ad-
miral H P. Jones' His declaration
is borne out by naval officers sta
toned here. from the highest to the
lowest ranks. and representing both
line and staff.
similarity Of Sentiments.
There are. of course, few excep-
tions. TheVreader. however. can sat
isfy himself of the percentage by
asking every naval officer he knows.
He will be surprised at the sameness
of the sentiments expressed. although
perhaps the reasons given may vary.
And, what is most to the point, among
the most determined opponents of
any scheme to take away from the
Navy its flyers. equipment and de-.
signers of that equipment. are those
very men who. having specialized in
flying and kindred subjects. would be
the ones almost certain to benefit,
both in increased rank, increased pay
increased authority and increased
prominence, should this plan go into
effect. That's a pretty good test of
the sincerity of their convictions.
Admiral Mayo and Admiral Sims
have both stated that the aircraft
force must not only be in, but of. the
feet and subject to the orders of the
fleets commander. In order prop
erly to work under his orders the
personnel must be trained and indoc-
trinaI-u by him in time OF. peace.
Naval Aviator Requirements.
"The naval aviator" says one ex-
perienced officer, must be trained in
the control of the fire of turret guns
at sea: in the tactical formations used
by fleets and in tn correct estimation
of probable intentions from the dis
position of the enemy feet. To a man
high up in the air, ships look remark
ably alike. 1t is not easy, even for a
regular naval officer, to distinguish
between a battleship and cruiser. a
cruiser and a destroyer, etc. When
the commander of a fleet sends up air
craft either for observation or at
tacking purpose. he wants them man
ned by men trained to see things
from the standpoint of sailor. to
make reports from that same stand
point and to fight with purposes and
results peculiar to naval training
There are other angles to the ques-
tion, angles that are deemed political
both as regards national politics and
Army politics. Concerning them
naval officers express themselves with
the utmost frankness. They don't like
the underlying causes of the move
ment for third service any more
than thew fancy it's Inevitable evil re,