Evening star., 1921-03-20

will prove the backbone of national
safety, Congress should, and no doubt
they enacted into law last summer,
the citizens military training camps.
OnRcers' Correspondence School.
Starting with a class of 500 re.
serve officers, ranking as first and
second Iieutenants. the Quartermaster
general is taking the initiative of set
ting in motion the first Army corre-
srondence school. which, in series
of ten lessons covering a period of
six months, will give Junior officers
practical course in the method of
procurement and supply. From six to
ten problems pertaining to general
quartermaster duties will be explain
the student will 1T the end Of the
series have assimilated valuable les
sons in the basic principles of pro-
curing and distributing Army sup
plies. e
I'm carrying out this important in
way of correspondence" said an Of
ficer in charge of the preparation Of
these courses. the government is
simply carrying out in part it's obli-
cation to reserve officers who are
anxious to be taught their duties in
emergency arise they will be fully
prepared for immediate and valuable
service to the government. officers
in our corps will also be trained in
civilian personnel. In order to carry
out the wishes of Congress to COM
bine an Army Of regulars. militia and
leserves. the work cut out for us is
to efficiently train QuartermaSter re-
serve officers in the various states
called upon at any time to perform
their duties under any condition
which may arise.
The recent message sent out by
Secretary Weeks urging as many re-
serve officers as possible to retain
developments in training and reor-
ganization. will have wholesome
effect with these officers. 1t is un-
fortunate. however, that many fine
emergency officers who expressed
desire to Join the reserves and applied
have not received their commissions.
The matter of delay in commissioning
these officers should be given imme-
diate attention"
Air Service.
Selecting men most capable of becom-
ing flyers was a problem that faced all
armies during the war. according to Ma
tional Service, which says: The prob
ability of the increase of flying during
the coming years makes the problem
still of interest. It is stated that while
2 per cent of flyers were incapacitated
by the enemy and per cent by me-
chanical shortcomings of the machine.
so per cent represents the number of
flyers who met disaster from accident
due to the flyer himself. The British
at. the end Of the first year found that
of the total number of accidents to fly
defects Of the pilots. When this was
| recognized and to some extent reme-
died. the next year showed decrease
to 20 per cent and the next to IL per
cent. The problems were not grasped
by the loss of valuable flying material.
1T is generally agreed that physical
fitness with normal sight and hearing is
essential. The consensus Of the best
opinion among American investigators
is as follows: When flying through the
air it is not possible for the aviator to
maintain an equilibrium entirely by
sight; when sailing through clouds or
darkness his eyes cannot give him the
slightest information about his position
in space. he cannot even tell whether
he is right side up or upside down. In
der such conditions as this he must rely
upon his ear balance sense, and his
sense Of muscle movements as trans
mitted to him by tendons and joints.
functions of the body by every means at
our disposal and to eliminate those
actually or presumably defective"
Army and Navy air services are ex-
perimenting with and developing three
types of airplane engines, says the
Dayton Journal. These types are: En-
gines of mutual interest to both Army
and Navy, engines of especial interest
the Navy. and engines of especial in
terest to the Army. These motors range
from a small $3.50 horsepower to 1000
L of ho x.yiI do
variety, it is natural that the first class
contains the greater amount of motors
for experimental and development work.
Fuel conditions have resulted in ex-
periments on an engine of approx
mately 500 horsepower. which will use
heavy oil as fuel. Elimination of the
f1re hazard existing in the use of the
present type aviation fuel is given grave
consideration in the perfecting Of this
motor.
The Army is experimenting with
motor for use in aircraft on which is
mounted a gun of greater caliber than
small arms 1t is anticipated that the
motor will generate 900 horsepower and
the gun will be fired between the pro-
peller blades. Experiments in this mo-
tor development are being carried on
at various government stations through
out the nation. Many of the proposed
engines have not been assembled, but
nlans for them are still in the formative
stage. The result Of the work in this
direction being done by the govern
ment will be watched with keen inter-
est. as the motors proposed will. when
completed, furnish radical changes in
aviation activities in the United States.
value of the Army Pony.
According to the remount chief of
the British army. in recent article
written for the London Times, the
value of the pony is now universally
acknowledged for military purposes.
"If this fact needed proof" he said,
will, make adequate provision within
the next few weeks to carry out that
mart of the national defense act which
"this war proved it most conclusive
n I,-oL Eo4:,,