New-York tribune., 1919-06-20

of this country in heavier than air .
land machines, and fully two and
half years in lighter than air progress.
1--WE are about equal on seaplanes.
Smaller Motors Preferred
"The British are superior on land |
primarily because they have variety
of good motors. Until very recently
this country had only the 400 horse
power Liberty motor. Planes with
motors of 200 to 800 horsepower are
preferable for battle purposes.
England gained superiority in the
land machine by developing motors of
$50 to 500 horsepower.
Both from the commercial and mill
tary standpoint IS England getting the
jump on the entire world. The hangar
asked for in this country is only a
beginning. Within a few years COM
mercial air lines will inevitably con-
troll hangers as extensively as the Ger
man Lloyd and British Steamship Lines
helddocks and wharves at New York.
"The commercial airship is going to
be developed on big scale and every
country will have to grant hangar
privileges to its neighbors. Within a
few years we will have our Maure
| tanias and Aquitanias of the air sim
ply because England outthought us in
sthe air.
Germany would have done it but
for the war. England is taking UP the
tslirigible where conquered Germany
,lleft off.
United States Start Negligible
"Unlike England, however, we will
have little to start on. During the war
there was the closest cooperation be-
tween England and America in the air,
but now we cannot expect England to
show Us all the secrets Of her com
mercial zeppelins.
$50 we are at least two and half
years behind in the lighter than air
field. We are starting where England
was two years ago. 1t will take US
year to build ship. That will be ex
perlmented with. Something may hap
pen to it. We will have to design
another"
Commander Writings opinion was
widely supported in army and navy
circles tonight. A number of Senators
who were unwilling to be quoted en-
y phatically agreed with him.
Representatives of aircraft manufac-
tiarers here consider the proposed pool
of British aircraft manufacturers will
give England a great advantage In the
international competition ror ayr su-
premacy. They cite it as another
reason why Congress should reverse is
decision to appropriate in a niggardly
for tho OtrCrof ff CoryiCoc
Abandoned Plants Regretted
member of the Aero Club Of Amer
ica commented bitterly on what he
called tho American policy of muddle
and drift in aircraft matters, and the
abandonment of all the great plants
and engineering researches started
during the war, just at time when a
little more effort and thought would
establish the country in the front
rank. Most Of the aircraft manufac-
turers,-he said, are still holding or
trying to hold their engineering organ
izations and skilled forces together in
the hope that Congress will after all
DO something, but it is predicted with
ing another sixsmonths they will have
to disband.
Chance M. Vought, president Of the
Lewis and Vought Airplane Corpora
ton, in discussing yesterday the re-
ported pooling Of all British airship
interests, said:
Can Congress afford to let Ameri-
can ingenuity and talent fight out the
development Of necessary aircraft
without proper encouragement, and the
equivalent Of generous subsidies with
which the British government is aid
ing its aircraft industry?
Can we afford to let these valu-
able weapons Of defence, equally es-
sential as future instruments Of peace
; full commerce and communication, be
the v1rivalled and uncontested pos
| sessions OF foreign nations? The fu-
r turo protection Of our thousands of
! miles of coast and boundaries will
' depend moro upon airplanes and air
= ships than any other instruments Of
t war"