The citizen., 1920-06-24
AVIATION WILL
Be DEVELOPED
NAVY DEPARTMENT PLANS BIC
THINGS FOR FLYING DURING
COMING FISCAL YEAR.
CONGRESS GIVES s25, 900, 900
Large Part Of This viii BE Spent In
improving the Naval Air Stations,
Especially on the Pacific Coast
Summer Schooling for Lads.
BY JAMES p. HoRNApAV.

Washington. - Extensive develop
melts In aviation are scheduled by the
navy department for tie coming fiscal
year. Congress has set aside $25,OOO,-
600 for this purpose. The senate in
creased the appropriation over the
amount originally fixed by the house
by $9,OOO,OO0. The upper branch OF
congress took the view that the war
showed clearly that aviation Is OF vital
Importance to all military operations
ashore and afloat. 1t was argued In
committee and also on tte floor OF the
senate that money judiciously spent
now for attacking the problem Will
save wastage later. Ii was the further
view of the senate that development
of the aviation branch of the navy
should not be permitted to lag behind
that of the navy service of other gov
ernments.
Congress is very certain that from
this time on more attention must be
devoted TO aviation. II maintains
there can be no doubt that the naval
flying machine, the hydroairplane, Is
now and will be one of the most I'm
portant branches of the naval defense.
A considerable part of the S25OOO,OOO
appropriated for use during the next
year will be used In improving naval
air stations. For instance, $30,OOO is
to be spent at Cape May, $4,000 at
Hampton Roads, $1S0,OOO at San d.
ego, Cal, $4,000 at the station at
Pensacola, Fla, S155.OOO at Quantico
on the Potomac river, $S7, 200 at Paris
Island, N. c., 100000 at the Great
Lakes training station. ILL.,, S5O,OOO at
Charleston, S. c., S459,0OO at Lake
hurst, n. j., 100000 at Rigid station,
Fla, $2,775,000 on the Pacific coast,
$S1 900 at Narraga1sett Bay, X. l., and
S930000 in the Hawaiian Islands.
Large Sums for the Pacific.
An appropriation of such a large
sum for development of naval stations
on the Pacific coast and in the Ha-
waiian Islands has not gone unnoticed.
In discussing these appropriations SEN
ators were very frank in saying that
the Pacific coast needs naval defense
more than the Atlantic coast at this
time. Attention was called to the fact
that under the new naval policy the
governments naval fleet is divided,
that is to say one-half of II from now
on is to be maintained in the Atlantic
ocean and one-half In the Pacific ocean.
1t is highly important, so the naval ex-
perts say, that the naval aviation sys-
TEN on the west coast be strengthened
as rapidly as possible.
The naval bill as a whole is progress
sive In spirit. 1t is based on the prin-
ciple that the navy is now and always
will be the country's first line Of de-
fense. The bill as 1t passed the house
appropriated S425. .2S9,574. The SEN
ate added to- that amount $40,00O,OO0
The estimates submitted in November
last year by the navy department for
the support of the entire naval estab-
lishment for the next fiscal year to-
tailed S573, ,131 ,254. So 1t will be seen
that congress, while II has made most
liberal appropriations for every branch
of the navy, has kept the total amount
considerably lower than the estimates.
A new feature of the bill Is a pro
vision authorizing the secretary Of the
navy In his discretion to establish at
each of the permanent naval training
stations summer schools for boys be-
tween the ages of sixteen and twenty
years. The secretary is also authorized
TO lend the necessary naval uniforms
during the training and TO furnish sub
sistence, medical attendants ana other
necessary incidental expenses for
those attending these schools. For tie
purpose of carrying out this plan
$4,000 is appropriated.
The naval officials represented to
congress that IL is practically impos-
sible to get recruits for the navy un-
less an opportunity is afforded to edu-
cate boys who have naval proclivities.
Under the legislation agreed on about
5000 boys a year can be called into
the naval service. They will go into
these schools and receive instruction,
and they will be enrolled In the naval
reserve force.
Help for Disabled Men.
htCOIuN VI
vocational education show that TO
May /, 1920, more than $4,000
disabled men have entered courses
Of training and that 10000 ad-
ditlonal men had been accepted foI
courses, of which there are 1875, In
technical, agricultural, professional
and academic institutions, public and
private. The Red Cross is In close
cooperative touch with the work OF
the federal board and is in a position
10 advise the disabled ex-service men
concerning training which will restore
them 10 their communities as useful
producing citizens. Thousands of the
men know the value of the friendly as
sistance which the Red Cross offers.
In practically all Of the Ia district
vocational offices which the federal
board maintains the Red Cross has
its workers, and In most of the com.
munlties where the men are In train
ing In schools and colleges there Is q
Red Cross worker TO look after the in