Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-07-29
FORTY MILLIONS
FOR AIR SERVICE
CONGRESS GRANTS ENOUGH TO
KEEP UP EQUIPMENT AND
RECRUIT PERSONNEL.
NOT ALL AIRMEN ASKED FOR
Vast Sum Was Needed to Put Aircraft
Manufacturing Industry on Produc-
ton Basis, but America Was Ready
When Armistice Came.
av EDWARD q. CLARK.

BY EDWARD B. ClAHh-
Observation-Disclosures has appro-
priated S40,0OO,0O0 through the army
supply bill for the use OF the air serv-
ice. This is not as much money as the
airmen asked, but it will enable the
service TO keep up It's equipment and
n fairly strong personnel. and will en-
able the United States probably TO
have airplanes enough for an ordinary
emergency.
People have been wondering what
Nj ecame of all the money that was
kcbbted for the air service In war time.
seems likely that some of it was
Aasted, but there has been perhaps
proper appreciation of the enormous
Initial cost which the government had
to stand in order to get the great air
craft manufacturing industry started
or the basis of production that SEEM
ingly was necessary.
Brig Gen. William Mitchell. who Is
in charge of aviation operations In the
war department, was in command of
the American aviation service in the
that when the drive was started more
airships were concentrated in the I'm
mediate vicinity than ever had been
brought together within a like area
since the war began. During the drive
1900 planes were sent into action.
General Mitchell was the first Amer
lean officer to fly over the Hun line.
1t is said to be necessary that the
airplane service of the United States
should be reconstructed. AS General
Mitchell put 1t:
THE p rSonnel which has been
trained as a result of this war is large
ly scattered throughout the country.
We have wonderful basis of person
mel returning from Europe, but they
had to go home. great majority of
them would not stay in the service
because II looked like hopeless future
for them, as very little encouragement
for an air service of any Importance in
the near future was held out"
Air Forces Were About Ready.
It is pretty generally agreed that
when the armistice went into effect the
United States, so far as its forces were
concerned. was just getting ready "to
do business" on a proper scale. II is
true that the st. Mihiel drive took
place two months before the armistice
went into effect. but the concentration
of flyers at that place left some other
places without proper Americas air
equipment. Not many planes were lost
in the ST. Mihiel engagement. Later
in the Argonne the losses were heavy,
but no heavier and perhaps not as
heavy as it was expected would be the
case in hard engagements of that kind.
OF the 1900 machines at st. Mihiel $50
were American and operated by Amer
leans
Ii Is understood that the airplane
service of the United States with the
Army of Occupation was on basis of
efficiency, one that would have enabled
the Americans TO conduct operations in
Germany. II they had been necessary,
on proper scale so far as the air
service was concerned.
Along the Mexican border today
there is n considerable number of air
planes, but not enough. ii is under
stood, 70 meet even the minor warfare
which IT is possible may have to be
conducted there within the near future.
With its S4O0O0,000 it is probable the
air service of the United States can be
put on n strong peace basis with suffi-
cient additional strength to meet any
small war in which this country may
be compelled 70 engage.
:, "Archies" Seldom Hit Planes.
While on the western front In 1915
and again In 1918 I witnessed consid-
cradle air action. The thing which as
early as 1915 was the most striking
feature of air service was the seeming
impossibility, or almost impOsslbility of
destroying On airplane by fire from the
ground. Another striking thing was
the apparent inability Of the bombers
in the airplanes to hit any specific
object on the ground at which they
were aiming.
Toward the end of the war the bomb
ers were getting more accurate. but
there was little change in the situation
so far as II affected the accuracy of
fire of the anti-aircraft gunner.
War Brings Out No Candidates.
Politicians In Washington have taken
note of the fact, and are interested
In II, that the front line of bat
tie In the great worlds war has pro-
duced no candidate for the presi-
dency of the United States, and this
thought takes cognizance of the truth
that both Generals Leonard Wood and
John ]. Pershing are mentioned In
connection with the nomination of the
Republican party.
So far as one can determine. there is
no active eampaign in behalf of Gen.
eral Pershing. and thus far the poll
ticians seem TO think he has little
chance of the nomination. In fact
republicans in Washington of all kinds
of views seem to believe that Pershinc
VIII not seek the nomination and that
no active effort will be made In his
behalf
So far as Leonard Wood is con.
cerned the feeling is that. while he is