The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-01-29
AIR FORCE URGED
AS BEST DEFENCE
Army Expert Says Aviation
Has Rendered Helpless
Naval Dreadnoughts.
APPROPRIATION Is CUT
Committee Reduces Army
Aviation Estimate to
S19,200.00O.
APPROPRIATION is CUT
Special Despatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington, ID. c., Jan. %.

Special Despatch to THE New YORK HERALD
New York Herald Bureau,
Washington, ID. c., Jan. 28.
The development of the airpIane
during the war has made the huge
naval dreadnoughts "just as helpless
as the armored knight was when the
firearm was brought against him."
Brig. Gen. William Mitchell. Assistant
Chief of the Army Air Service, declared
in testimony before the House Appro-
priations Committee made public to-
day
Gen. Mitchell insisted that the air.
plane has become such a superior
weapon to the battleship that the fu-
ture programme of national defence
must be based on huge aerial force, If
1t is to be effective. An adequate aerial
force in large measure supplanting the
navy can be built up in three years, at
an annual construction cost Of s45,-
100000, he said. At present one battle
ship costs about $4,000, 900, and this
amount would build 1000 planes.
Should the United States Navy be
made the equal OF Great Britain In ton
mage it would be foolish to attack II, be-
cause OF the superior British air force,
Gen. Mitchell said. He asked that the
committee authorize the destruction OF
an obsolete battleship by army airplanes
to Illustrate the helpessness OF the huge
craft when subjected to an aerial at
tack.
The programme of Gen. Mitchell calls
for both land and sea operation of the
airplanes. He recommended that the
three huge former German liners, the
Leviathan, the Won Steuben and the Ag-
amemnon. which have a speed equal to
any of the battleships. be equipped as
mammoth airplane carriers, so that an
aerial force can be quickly transported
to any zone of operations. That request
was not granted in the army appropri-
alton bill. reported by the House Ap-
propriations Committee to-day and the
estimate of the Army Air Service for
appropriations totalling s6o0o0o00 was
reduced to 319.200.000.
Gen. Mitchell said that such develop
ments have been made In the manufac-
re of poison gas that large cities
could be destroyed by hostile planes
dropping gas bombs unless the United
states should have an adequate de-
.ence force.
What We need behind the Atlantic
coast is a brigade OF COO airplancs--
70 per cent. pursuit. % per cent attack
and 20 per cent. bombing" said Cen.
Mitchell. Behind the Pacific coast
We should have COO planes similarly or
ganized. Throughout the country In
general we should have an air division
of two brigades of 100 planes that
could be shifted either way or, In other
words, an offensive force Of 400 planes.
"As an auxiliary TO these should be
seventeen surveillance flights of six air
planes each, developed at 200 mile inter-
walls along the coasts, for reconnaissance
work. With other craft the force
should be made TO consist OF 1900
planes. or about the same strength
France now possesses.
I'm my opinion this force should be
pne-sixth with the coiors and five
sixths reserves. On the basis OF a con-
struction programme OF s45.ooo,000 a year.
which Is the cost OF one battleship. this
force can be built up and made eff
cent in one year
AS to the effect of gas dropped from
an airplane. Gen. Mitchell sad.
Take New York city and consider It
an area of 100 square miles. II two
tons of crying gas are dropped by air.
planes there once in eight days II will
make every one wear gas masks and
goggles. If we should want TO kill
everybody in that area we could put
200 tons of phosgene there once in eight
days and 1t will keep that area COW
cred.
voving the use Of smoke. gas and at
tack aviation, to neutrallze the anti
aircraft attack"
PADEREwsKI QUITS LEAGUE.