The Washington times., 1922-08-16
MITCHELL !.
TELLS LACK
OF LIA|5ON
Ayers Frontiers Should Be Pro.
tectsd Against Menace
From Air. ,s.
by Cosmopolitan News Service.

From Air. g..
ny Cosmopolitan News Service.
There is complete lack of liai-
son or system about our national
defense"
"An air force should be pro-
vided as a means Of frontier and
coast defense, both against. sea-
craft and against aircraft"
millions of dollars have been
spent for navy yards distrib-
uted along the sea coasts. few
Of which have depth Of water suf-
ficient TO accommodate a wounded
battleship limping into port draw
ing forty or forty-five feet of
water"
In Mitchelrs Report.
These statements are contained
in the report of Brig. Gen. William
Mitchell, in charge of the 1921 -exs
periments of bombing battleships
by aircraft, whose report on such
operations was suppressed by naval
authorities.
The report further asserts that
nearly two billion dollars has been
spent in the past ten years for
coastal defenses. most Of which are
regarded as obsolete, owing to per.
fection, Of aircraft and seaplane
carriers.
A section, Of the report. which
outlines the principles upon which
American defense should be based.
follows:
sour scheme of national defense
should be revised at once. It
should be based on the following
principles:
''ta) An air force should be pro-
vided as means OF frontier and
coast defense, both against seacraft
ana against aircraft. For fighting
against aircraft all means Of de-
fense against aircraft should be
attached to the air force.
'Ib) Navy should be organized
and equipped to take the offensive
on the high seas. and not be en-
ployed along and close. to the
coast. Such air forces should be
assigned to the navy as can go
to sea with 1t and fight with 1t
On the high seas. - ,-
Must Protect Navy.
stc) Navy control so far as 1t AZ.
fects. coast defense should cease 200
miles from the coast. Complete con.
troll and responsibility for the de
fense Of the land should reside In the
army. and II should be organized to
accomplish this mission. A navy
driven from the high seas must be
protected by the air forces and the
army. .-
'Id) At present there is com
n. l. - LII 4.
our national defense. The duties are
distributed between the army, the
navy, the air forces, the coast ar
tillery, the. army corps area COM
n1anders, and the coast guard In such
q way as to make 1t impossible to
function efficiently in an emergency.
II In q heritage Of our early war.
Former experiences show that II
n impossible under the present sys-
tenn of departmental organization of
separate War and Navy Depart.
ments to obtain an efficient solution
Of our needs for national defense;
there 10 no common hand-except
Congress-where matters relating to
land defense, sea defense, and air de-
Tense can be submitted on their own
merits snd judged as a force by IT.
self. Aviation can only be developed
70 It's fullest extent under it's own
direction and control.
IAN efficient solution Of our de.
fensive needs will not exist until a
department Of national defense Is or.
sanised. with a staff common to all
the services. Subsecretaries for the
army, for the navy. and for the air
must be created. AT the present time
our aeronautic efforts are dissipated
from an inefficient system Of com.
Yriand, and inefficient methods OF
handling personnel. and an In.
efficient system Of the distribution OF
the funds appropriated for the
national defense.
.'In the last ten years $3.50, 900.
600 has gone into the creation and
maintenance Of our coast artillery
and coast defense. What defense is
this against hostile sea forces or
against hostile air forces? Mil
lions Of dollars have been spent
for navy yards distributed along the
sea coast, few Of which have
depth Of water sufficient to accom-
n1odate q wounded battleship limp
ing into port drawing forty or forty
five feet OF water. An infinitesi.
NAL part Of the money which we
can save from these useless ex.
penditures, devoted to the creation