The sun., 1919-08-11
ALL FLIERS TO QUIT
LONG ISLAND FIELDS
War Department Order Will
Strip Training Camps Of
Officers and Men.

The four big Long Island flying fields
theoretically protecting New York from
aerial attack-Hazelhurs Mitchell and
Roosevelt fields at Mineola, and Brindley
Field. east Of Freeport-the develop
ment OF which cost the Government mill
ions Of dollars, are to be stripped bare
OF officers and men within n week.
A War Department order has dropped
with the demorallzlng effect of a big
air bomb upon the officers and men of
the fields and they will In few days
be on their way, from Col. Archie Miller,
commandment Of Long Island air fields.
to the youngest youngster with a single
gold bar. to the flying fields of Florida
and Texas. or to recruiting duty some
where.
Two hundred or more airplanes--in
| good flying condition, and this hurts the
army pilots more than anything elise
are to be left at the fields in the dubious
protection OF drafty and leaky hangers
under the care of n sergeant and three
or four men per field.
BY spring the sorrowful pilots know
that their favorite planes will be rotten
and their most faithful motors piles OF
| rusty scrap. No airplane or motor can
be stored unattended so long and ever
mount into the clouds again 1t would
be much better and just as economical
in the opinion of the pilots, to take the
planes up mile or so into the blue
jump out with parachutes and let them
| crash.
$500 Affected by Order.
At least three hundred officers and
1900 men are affected by the order
u he, 4 e.. -
| the fields with their scores OF barracks
hangers and other buildings. but they
predict that II left uncared for they will
4 not last very long. Each of the fields
has an elaborate fire department of Its
own, and the withdrawal OF this as well
means great danger of conflRgratlon as
| well as depreciation.
| Another rhing that rankles in the
hearts of the officers and men is the
abandonment of the carefully planned
| campaign to send alrpla mes throughout
I, New England. Pennsylvania. New Jersey
and New York to interest the municipal
authorities of various towns In aviation
and to help in the establishment of land
Ing fields. This work was planned with
the idea of keeping the United States
abreast with England and France in
aeronautical progress both in war and
in peace. 1t was a thing which could
be done only by the army air service
and particularly by the men of the Ions
Island camps. 1t is said the abandon
ment of the aerial educational campaign
means a hard blow to commercial avi
alton as we'll as to preparedness for wal
| in this country.
Washington dispatches state that tn,
desertion of New York's flying fields IL
due to the fact that there Is no money
to maintain them. 1t Is tho contention
of the War Department that Congress!
should provide this money. while mem
bers of Congress are unwilling to ad
vance any more large sums for the all
service at present becArse of the US,
to which the billion dollars for thi!
purpose was put during the war.
Hope Fields viii Reopen.
After the reorganization of the arm,
and possibly the creation of a separate
air department, such as Is the case II
England. there will probably be mor'
money available and some, at least, o
the fields will once more be opened. TIL
ground OF Mitchell Field is owned by tn
Government but the others are onl!
leased
II IL not possible to estimate the los
of money due to the depreciation of un
cared for machines, buildings. sewerag
systems, &C.. but undoubtedly the CLOSING
OF the fields will cost hundreds of thou
sands of dollars Airplanes will b
scarce over New York city and visiting
notables will no longer be greeted b.
army airplanes cavortng over their shil
as they steam up the bay. As far as |
known at Hazelhurst Field, the Handle
Page Caproni and Martin borbers. tn
largest planes In this country. whc
| were wrecked recently by tornado an
lightning bolt. win remain In their pres
ent state at the fields.
Camp Mills. adjoining the flying field
at Mineola, will also be given up as
rehabilitation place for special casua
companies Hereafter casuals must e
all the way to Camp Upton. near tn
other end of Long Island. Mills is a
exceedingly well planned camp, its ex
tensive buildings including hospita
for 1000 men, and built at cost O
100000.