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


LITTLE DONE
These are few OF the questions
being asked by the American public
Tho situation. In brief. 10 ~ fol.
lows:
Cen. pershinx reported two years
AFRO that the total number Of Amer.
tran.made airpianss delivered In
France By November IL. 1919. the
day Of the signing Of the armiss!cs.
was only tst. Of which only III 90
tnsIiy were Al the front In squadrons
on that date sitho over $500. 1000, ooc
had actually been spent
The public was told that thsr~ were
on hand over $4,000 motors. millions
at feet Of airplans sprucs. millions Of
yards Of airplane cloth. tens Of thou.
sands Of propciiers. sirpians wheels.
turnbuckiea wing beams. wing ribs
| and other n,atsrtais.
| The country was told that these
raw materials ana accessories DO not
detsriovats with time. ana could be
utilized for pears hsnos 10 the pro
duction It airpianss - Improved
typsA
| The producfion q sir pssvses air.
planes and motors was not stopped
Immediately following the signing Of
the armistica.
ny November I. 1918. arcwdlns =
Sths official reports transmitted 20
consrsss BY Secretary Of War Baker
on December ~. 1919. irving the
number Of sirplanea. engines. bal
looms ana dirixibies accepted by the
air service between April Z. 1917. and
November I. 1919. the cir service had
received = total Of 1881 airpiansa.
On which hsd already b>sn paid Siis..
7so.ossss. and Si.sss airpian~s on
which had already been paid e1ss..
sss. is7so--A and many contracts were
sun under liquidation. therefore
additional payments wsrs poaadbisi
| In addition. the government hAd
ordered and received s.isi airvsAnes
fSum vnncA Great britain and
Italy. and svse go q thsss inasue
/ ESaropeAa airpIanas had bssa ~
esivs1 h the Unissl States n 1913.
Il With . largs numb9 Il bsss H,zro-
/ pean u,eeorn.
HAVING thSs s6srmous numnse se
n a1spianAs ana motors ara practically
H n unl5mitsds aznoun1 - rav -
Il tsrsAis fss censeruosing aAditsani cir.
\ planss - any syps. ana IN aporo-
\ prsatisa u 90. ~. - Tor a. -ysas
\ snAing yune a. is3o. ana s<hsr ~
Il psopssaasons since watch bring ths
II totai expenditures q the air service
Il ancs June 20. 1919. 70 over 4Be.eoo..
II go, \ was fen that the cir ssrv1cs
Il would not require large ApprspFta,
II tons for yeArs TO coma
II Also. Il was believed the air eervfcs
i could ell thousands OF airplanea and
II mo<oss 70 che hundreds Of cru. ,.
4 army ana navy cir serv1cs sffscsrs
| mo were anxious 10 buy sirpianss
| fer conmsrciAl ana scientific pur'
4 poseA
\ VAST sUlfs AKB
l oQUANDERED
II nut the cir service refused 70 sell
| anv a the airpianes 70 aviatorr
| dursus 1910. According 10 The report
! made By the congressional 'nvsss'n'
Il tons
we oVux sbv'S~N~~~
Il Ch,rtiss motors. i.eis cuftiss.type air
planes ana 100 standard JN;i air
ii olanes which 10 purchased from the
II c,,rtisp Asropisns and Motor Corpor'
II atom. shsn cold them back - this
company FOR s3.7so.ooo.
.-rhs war department refused 70
s>u these machines 10 aviators for
lass than $4,000 each. and provided
81 the contract BY which they were
\ so,d 70 the curtiss company that the
curtiss company should have the
\ first opportunity 70 buy any other
airp,an, which the war department
4 might thereafter declare surplus"
statements have been mads and
c,rc,lated by air service officers and
agents OF manufacturers to the effect
mat unless congress allows close 20
II 90 .ooo. 900 additional aeronautic ap
uropriations. IN addition to the s2s..
900 600 allowed for 1910. the air ser.
vice would not have sufficient air.
planes to cope with Mexican air
service.
Both congress and the general
staff conducted Investigations and
found that the Mexican air service
| consisted Of less than rs empowered
scoutinx-type sirpianesi
H Apparently all that the aiy service
/ has 70 show for the expenditure Of
over $500. 900. 900 during the war and
over $50. 900. 600 since June 30. 1918.
IL a chastity list Of ragediss In which
| were killed over $50 Air service men.
/ including high officers. and were de-
stroysd over 1000 airplanes, motors
and equipment that had cost over
II $50, 900 900. An investigation has
shown that most Of these tragedies
we're due to preventsble causes and
not 70 the natural hazards Of flying.