Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-10-05
EDITORIAL.

THE news from Washington thai
Souther Field, the Air Service
post at Americas, is to be abandon
cd, is bad news, but not entirely IN
CxpeL ed, to Americas people. De
spite protests from officials in Wash
ington taat there was no intention
10 abandon the field or even change
It's status, whenever some new order
came along repeatedly reducing the
personnel, the idea has gradually
been growing in the minds OF the
people here that it was only ques-
ton of time until the post would
be closed entirely. And now Wash,
:ngton admits it.
It was the Change in Adminis,ra-
ton at Washington, in which friends
of the South were ousted from con-
troll, that clinched the belief that
Souiher Fields time was limited.
And when congress enacted iegisfa-
ton cutting the size of the army
trimming the Air Service branch to
the limit, and cutting expenditures
far below what was thought absolute
ly necessary, it became more APP
parent that the fields lease on life
would be shorter even than the mos
hopeless had expected.
X
THE loss of Souther Field will be
greater loss in pride anc
prestige than materially There was
time, for several months after its
establishment, when Souther Field
was a post of about 1900 officers
and men. Never a large post, but
they were the pick of the American
forces-young men, splendid young
men, men who were able to pass the
severest army tests of physique, IN
telligence and general ability-men
to be trained as daring air pilots
When the war ended these young
men began to scatter rapidly, and
in a few months only a mere hand
full were left. Then, the post was
made inactive, with not enough en-
listed men left to guard the govern
ments property, and jobs were pro-
vided for numerous civilians.
Recently these jobs have been cur.
tailed, and persons employed there
have been forced to seek work else
where, until now only the smallest
possible force of army men and CIV
ilians is to be found in charge Of this
government reservation and its mil
lions Of dollars worth of stored air
planes and air service equipment.
COULTER FIELD has repeatedly
- been declared by flying men to
be the equal of the best in the coun
try. It's soil is ideal for flying IN
any kind of weather, something I'M
true of most other fields. 1t loca-
ton is excellent, its climate first
class. But the administration is cut
ting expenses, and to do this it Is
closing numerous army posts. Inc
South. which was favored with most
Of the posts because of its climatic
advantages for winter training, Is
now losing most, and the North is
being favored whenever possible II
the retention of what few stations
are to be retained 1t is the logical
result of conditions and our form
of government.
1T appears to the Times-Recorde1
that there is only one sane as
pect in which to view the annouce'
ment from Washington. We have
applauded the administrations eff
forts to reduce government eXpens
es, and to be consistent we must moi
condemn the administration, if per
chance, our own toes are trampleC
in the business of carrying out these
reductions. FQr| after all, Southel
Fields maintenance, unless it is kept
up as an active post and utilized
by the government, is constant
waste. And frankness compels the
admission that Americas is too big in
spirit to put pride before the pub
lie good, and to wish to retain South
ler Field as public waste without it
being of real public value, rathe-
than to see it abandoned because
in peace time it has lost its value
THERE are many citizens here
"A wao will have no regrets at tn
IL ~