Omaha daily bee., 1921-04-29
Wants balloon school Retained.

| Omaha, April 2S.--To the Editor
of The Bee: With no desire TO
rush into print. for | know only
| fools rush in where angels fear to
| tread, / am writing you as citizen.
! resident here for over 20 years, a
home owner and taxpayer, and last
! but not least always a booster for
Omaha, spending my own time and
money 10 advertise our beautiful
city, both at home and when travel
| ing away from here, and using my
best efforts 10 interest people in COM
ing here TO live and to invest in our
enterprises and perhaps will reap no
reward until l get it in the great
beyond, to request you TO give
enough space in the columns of
your valuable paper to bring the at
tention of the real, live and sincere
boosters of Onward Omaha to the
facts of what it means to the citizens
Of our community TO have the Unit
ed States Army Balloon school re-
moved from our city and state.
This institution with its various
departments and in which there are
now employed 100 civilian employees
of the United States government
under civil service, and including
engineering experts, skilled artisans.
of the various crafts, Office help and
air service supply department OF
fieers, and the payroll for which eX-
ceeds on an average $4,000 a
month, an all American aggregation
and spending their money here.
among whom there are several
home owners of beautiful Omaha,
and whose breaking up Is contin-
lao frn,,, id ct
and their happiness destroyed as
result, all citizens and taxpayers
here.
IL it is desirable to make beautiful
Fort Omaha the resident headquar-
ters of the Seventh Army corps, and
that there is insufficient ground at
this post for the maintenance of the
United States Army Balloon school
with it's various departments includ-
ing it's engineering department Of
fees, now fully equipped and
manned by full complement of
competent engineers and draushts-
men, chemical and Photographic as
we'll as electrical and physical lab
ratories. a fine new and fully
equipped machine shop and garage
for the construction of motors,
winehes or other devices used
in the signal service of the
army, all now running with a
large plant for manufacturing hy-
drogen gas included, why not some
OF the real, live and sincere men OF
money and influence in our. COM
in our general welfare. come
forward and subscribe sufficient
funds for the purchase Of sufficient
land at or near Omaha in Nebraska
to make it an object to the War de-
partment to make Omaha the prin-
cipal aviation headquarters of the
Uniter States army, which is logical
from every angle. and not wait un-
til we have. another war and force
them to do it in self-defense. i
The returns on the investment will
soon repay the business men of Oma- |
ha for fostering this effort, to say
nothing of the prestige it will add |
to Onlaha,s growing popularity as
an aeronautical center and the in
creased factor Of safety to this COM
munity in time of trouble. strife and |
Omaha and Nebraska are large |
enough to accommodate both the |
Seventh Army corps and the United |
States Army Ballon school and |
several others of the important aero
nautical adjuncts to the army, IT it
is found expedient to locate them
here.
Trusting you may be interested
enough to investigate and use the |
influence of your paper in the gem
oral good of the community, adding
the fifth plank to The Bees splendid
platform by backing the new Union
station, good roads. increased water
ways, home. rule and United States
army aviation headquarters. and be- :
lieving YOU will agree: with me in !
my views of keeping a good thing
when you fave it, |
r., AN HUMBLE CITIZEN.