The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-02-07
SEA-AER|AL DUEL
 IS LOOMING STRONG; AMPLE ENTHUSIASM
Controversy as to Whether Airship Will SuppIant Bat tIeships, Becomes Warmer
 and Test Is Discussed
By Associated Press

Washington, February 6.-The controv- ersy as to the relative superiority of bat tleships and aircraft. which recently has stirred the navy and war departments end has bobbed up in Congress, may be settled through actual tests, high naval officials said tonight.
 Brig. General William Mitchell, assis- tant chief of the air service, who re- gently told a congressional committee that developments in aircraft had spelled the doom of the present day dread- naught, and other air service officers are understood to have issued a virtual chal- lenge to the navy department to permit them to prove their contentious. The navy department is firm believer in the superiority of the capital ship, and, naval officers believe, will accept the challenge in the hope of settling the con- troversy. at least for the time being.
 General Mitchell has asked his super. iors in the war department tc send g. formal request to Secretary Daniels that two torpedo boats, two supply vessels and one battleship be designated for the tests Naval officers express the belief that such a request, even if made, would be refused because of the large amount of material involved and the cost of fit ting the five vessels with distant radio control apparatus.
 REFUSAL PROBABLE
 There is a strong Likelihood however, naval officers said today, that the old battleshp Iowa, already fitted with radio control gear and capable of speed or more than 10 knots and of being man. euvered with no one on board, will be used as a target for aerial bombs after experiments now being conducted on the control device are completed. Another suggestion going the rounds Of the navy department is that large lighters be lowed at high speed behind destroyers or cruisers and used as targets.
 Many officers believe that no test of the ability of the aviators to hit naval vessels would be conclusive unless the target were moving at least 20 knots and hour pointing out that all modern cruisers, battle cruisers, battleships and destroyers and the proposed airplane car riers have more speed than this. If the lighters were used, it was said. con- structiye area equal to that of a capital surface ship would be allowed the avia- tors around the lighter in which all hits would be counted.
 No test even under these conditions would be entirely conclusive many naval officers maintain, because all of the el- enents of defense would be lacking. in cluding anti-aircraft guns and protec- tive aircraft It was generally however that such experiments as General Nit chell has proposed would give good idea of the ability of the aviators to ac- tually hit vessel moving on the water
 HE IS CONFIDENT
 "I am so confident said one high naval officer today, that neither army nor navy aviators can hit the Iowa when she is underway that I would be perfectly willing to be on board her when they bomb her. providing that they were kept at the altitude they would be com pelled to maintain in battle"
 Army aviators maintain that any sur. face vessel in existence today can bt destroyed by airplane attack, citing the tests on the old battleship Indiana with dummy bombs as proof of their ability to hit the target Navy officers assert that it is one thing to hit a battleshif anchored in bay an another to hit ths same ship moving at 20 knots an houl at sea.
 Officers of both services are eager fol test.
 Chairman Butler and other members of the House naval committee have re peatedly expressed a desire since the be- ginning of the battleships ys. airplant controversy be at actual tests under con. ditions approxmating as closely as pos sible those of battle.
 Secretary Daniels has indicated that hs fayors the idea