The Washington times., 1922-08-15

not alter the statement made above,
as aircraft can operate under con-
ditions under which sea craft can.
not operate. For instance. a 60
mile wind, low visibility near the
water, and operations at night are
very difficult for sea craft. There
are no conditions in which sea
craft can operate efficiently in
which aircraft cannot operate eff
ciently. Aircraft, therefore, form
an absolutely positive system Of
defense against sea craft within
the radius Of their action.
"3. The weapons used in the
recent exercises against the sea
craft were bombs alone. Torpedoes,
gas, guhfire and mines were not
used. The army air service was
not permitted to attack the targets
as II would under actual condl.
tons; and never was more than
one-tenth OF the first provisional
air brigade employed in single
attack. Had the army air service
air brigade employed in a single
been permitted to attack as It
desired, none OF the sea craft at
tackled would have lasted ten min.
utes in servicaable condition.
The first provisional air brigade
could have nut out of action the
entire Atlantic fleet in a single
attack. The money value Of the
airplanes in the first brigade did
not exceed the cost OF a modern
destroyer.
-. Sea craft are much more
vulnerable when they have steam
up in their boilers, are moving at
a high speed in formation, and
when they are equipped with am
munition in their magazines and
on their decks. A comparatively
small bomb will cripple their con-
denser systems, throw their rud-
ders and propellers out of line,
and completely demoralize the op-
Grating personnel. The naval Of
ficers and enlisted men that
watched the Ostfriesland roll over
and sink will never forget 1t. and
they fully realize the tremendous
moral effect that attack possesses.
Sea Problems Solved.
5. The problem of the destruction
of sea craft by air forces has been
solved. and Is finished. 1t is now
necessary to provide an air organi.
zation and method Of defending not
only our coast cities, but our interior
cities, against the attack OF hostile
air forces. Our recent maneuvers
show that an enemy having control
OF the air-which gives him control
Of the sea--may land air forces from
airplane carriers on any Of the
island or keys along our coast,
which cannot be attacked by troops
or artillery, and from those points
launch air attacks against our great
centers of population in the trlangls
Chesapeake bay, Boston and Chicago.
Within two days after a :heOreti-
cal landing had been made, at q
point eight miles north Of Cape Hat.
gade attacked Richmond, Newport
News, Norfolk, Washington, New
York, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and
Annapolis-this being done with
comparatively crude equipment.
with improved equipment, at
tacks may be expected from hostile
air forces over our northern frontier,
east coast, or the Gulf Of Mexico,
against great cities in the center Of
the country, such as Chicago, st.
Paul, Omaha, and Kansas City. Gas,
explosive and incendiary bomb at
tacls against these centers will com.
pletely cripple them, Kill thousands
Of people, demoralize transportation
systems, and make Il impossible for
any great military movements or
operations to take place In this
country.
"6-Our scheme Of national de.
fense should be revised at once.
WILLIAM MITCHELL.
"Brigadier General, Air Service, As.
sistant Chief Of Air Service"