The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-09-06


suits Of his Investigations are go forth
ta = series Of articles written especially
tor The Star.
BY HENRY wooDHoUsE
President Aerial League Of America
and Authority ON Acronautics
WASHINGTON. Sept 6. - Two
hundred and thirsy.fivs airplanes
were ordered recently by the United
States air service
Production Of these planes with
motors, instruments and the neces-
sary navigating and flying equip
ment. and tho fighting and bomb
dropping attachments and tho trans.
portation and housing and upkeep
Of these planes viii amount to a
total Of not less than SIC. 100000.
The committee OF tho Aerial
y.eakus Of America. which Is assist
ing tho government In aircraft tn
vsstigaticns ana has been invest.
eating tho air service tragedies that
have killed over $50 air service men
and destroyed over 1000 airplanes.
motors and equipment that had cost
over sso.ooo.o 200. finds the following
conditions:
DEFICITS ARE
NOT kEMEDIED
ONE; The 81 bombing ana 500
scouting airplanes ordered have the
same mechanical defects that fig.
ursd In this death and destruction.
TWO: Unless the order for the
bombing airplanes contracted for Ia
held up and the designs are correct
ed there win be more deaths by sx
plosion OF bombs. like tho explosion
that caused the death OF two army
officers and five others at the Aber>
deem. Nd. proving grounds. which
destroyed also the airpiane and
other property valued a. $4,000
THREE: improvements that would
help eliminate defects and make the
airplanes safe were developed and
offered to the government and were
rejected
FOUR: These improvements were
developed ~ result Of an investi-
CATION conducted BY . committee Of
which the writer was q member.
DEATHS DUE TO
BOMB ACCIDENTS
This committee investigated the
causes Of the death Of Ilcusenanes
c. X Bronson and Luther Walsh.
he two ypung naval officers killed
whfle testing an airplans bomb at
Indian Head Ma. on November Z.
1914 which was the first accident
az IN kind
We found that the sx1s Of an air
plane wes IN obstruction likely 70
eauso many explosions from bombs
carried undsr the fuseiass Of the
atxplanA
- ~ urysa various asronausic
Engineers to considsr the developing
q . cnaszfs without axiA
Some months later the pioneer
oeronautio engineer. James v. Mar
tin. notified rs that he had evolved
Z chassis without axle and from
time TO time he notified us OF the
progrsss made IN testing this ohas-
Ufs.
ylnaIly. in esptsmber. 1890. he
advised ~ that he sold = humber
Of important airpians patents to the
Y. Q. government for 81.
Subsequently. IN February. 1891.
we were advised that . certain group
Of interested persons had figured
that the. sale Of such valuable pat
snts TO the government for 81 would
Adversely affect themselves.
A. incredible a. II may seem. this
signed agreement OF sale OF the |
Martin patents and the voucher.
which were now government prop
erty. were taken out OF the official
flies and sent to Martin with q let.
ter adviEng him in effect that his
patents were worthless to the gov.
eminent.
ACTION WILL SAVE
LIVES AND MONEY
The findings of the committee
have been submitted to President
Harding. the secretary OF war and
the attorney general. and II action
Is taken without delay and the con-
tracts held UP until the mechanical
defects have been removed, the
country will have been saved mil.
lions Of dollars and further air
service tragedies from this cause
will have been prevented.
In my opinion air service TRACE
dies can be brought to an end
quickly by instituting federal grand
jury investigations where witnesses
and air service officers can and will
tell under oath what they know
about the tragedies which have
killed over $50 air service men, In.
GLIDING q dozen ranking officers,
since August IS. 1919.
Arguments have not stopped the
air service tragedies and dcstruo.
ton Of expensive airpianes, motors
and equipment, and will not bring
the dead men TO life, or return 20
the public the $4,000. 900 represent
ed by the 1000 airplanes, motors
and equipment destroyed In crashes
since August Is. 1919.
SCHOOL BEGINS