The sun., 1919-10-30
AERO MAKERS FEAR
INDUSTRY WILL DIE
Manufacturers Tell Reasons
Why Congress Should Ex-
pend S15,O0O,O0O.
EUROPE MORE LIBERAL
Big Appropriations by Eng
land, France and Japan
Cited.
EUROPE MORE LIBERAL

Unless reasonable appropriations for
the building OF army airplanes are made
by Congress the aircraft industry of the
United States will completely disappear,
according to a statement Issued yester-
day by the Manufacturers Aircraft As
ISOLATION, an organization representing
the builders of airplanes In this country.
The manufacturers point out that II
cost this country a billion dollars to
create an aircraft industry when the
war began. Unless some support In
the shape OF army orders is given the in
dustry will disintegrate. leaFing the
United States at the mercy in the air OF
any foreign Power which has preserved
its aircraft factories, 1t Is declared. AT
the same time 1t is pointed out that al
ready 90 per cent. of the industry which
sprang up under the needs of war has
liquidated, and even now 1t would re-
Qure at least year to equip the army
air service with new planes.
The statement of the association was
made at this time to endeavor to secure
the passage of the Sl5,0o0.oo0 emer-
gency appropriation for the air service,
and II is pointed out that Great Brit
ain has already appropriated $3.50, ,000,-
L
than s20O,000,000 for this use. The
statement says:
"The failure of Congress to make an
emergency appropriation OF $4,000 600
for army aircraft construction depri,es
the nation Of equipment for national
defence which 10 greatly needed at once,
and virtually serves notice on the air
Iiane and tirplane engine industry OF
the United States to go out of business.
sCr-l- o., ot., t. @aN-
citation Represented n capital investment
Of 500, 900. 900. The airplane and engine
plants of its twenty members, when the
war ended, gave employment to upward
of a quarter of a million persons. To-
day 25 per cent of the membership has
disappeared, and the capital OF the re-
maining units las been diverted so faI
es to leave SO meagre an establishment
that, even were Congress to approve the
emergency appropriation before the Close
Of this session 1t would require al ieas'
twelve months for the army air service
TO obtain new equipment.
THE status OF the American airplant
and engine business is illustrated by tht
condition of the three largest members
OF the Manufacturers Aircraft Associa
ton. The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motoi
Corporation, which includes also In th'
Curtiss group the Burgess Company Of
Marblehead, Mass. and the Curtiss En-
gineering Company Of Garden City. n
Y. has diminished 80 to 80 per cent. II
it's production capacity. Whereas No
vember IL, 1919. 1880 men were en-
ployed, there are now only $50 on th'
rolls. The great North Elmwood stree
plant in Buffalo, which embraced LEO,
600 square feet, Is idle. The Austin
Niagara and Bradley street plants II
Buffaio have been abandoned. Tit
plant at Hammondsport, n. Y. has beer
closed. The Burgess plant Is inopera
tive. The Churchill street plant at Bur
fnlo is working on engines and the plan
Of the Curtiss Engineering Company II
engaged in commercial designing ant
construction.
THE l.. W. r. Engineering Compan!
at College Point, L. l.. has laid on 81
per cent of the 1900 aircraft worker
employed when the armistice was signed
Fifty per cent. of this plant, which i
one OF the most complete airplane unit
in the country. has been diverted oi
long time contracts to cabinet work
Unless constructive action Is taken tn
remaining so per cent which has beel
held open for aircraft development will
also be diverted.
"The Wright Martin Aircraft Corpora
ton. manufacturers of the Hispano
suiza engine, on November IL. 1915
employed is, 00s men. With the excep
tion of a small engineering staff thi
number has been wiped out. The grea
plant at New Brunswick. N. j.. ha
been practically closed and the Govern
ment owned plant at Long Island Cit
has been completely closed.
The aircraft manufacturers hav
waited for twelve months. One by on
they have dismissed their skilled me
chanics and disbanded their technica
staffs. They have dismantled thei
plants for aircraft production and hav
taken on the building Of phonograp
cases, furniture, automobile and tracto
parts. sea sleds. toy airplanes an
wheelbarrows. They have endeavore
20 develop commercial types Of all
planes to a limited extent, but the'
assets being In fairly liquid form the
have been under the constant tempta
tion to abandon aviation entirely.
"If we who originated the practices
airplane do not care to maintain o
develop the art-and this in the face {
intense aerial activity abroad--we Nigh
as well as nation reiinquish all ide
OF initiative in either commercial o
military aeronautics and trust to Grea
Britain to protect us In the air In III
future. just as we trusted to her an
our other associates in the war wit
Germany"