The Washington times., 1922-08-14
.CONGRESsLAX
IN AIR MATTERS,
fULLAM CLAIMS

| TUlLMW ULhlMJ
Retired Admiral. After National
Survey, Scores Lack OF
U. s. Appreciation.
BY REAR ADMIRAL w. +. Full
LAM, RETIRED.
Copyright. 1879. by Cosmopolitan News
service.)
YORK HARBoR. Me-, Aug. IL.
II have just completed a 10000
mile tour through the United States
as a representative of the Ma
tional Aeronautical Association Of
America. This society seeks to
encourage and coordinate all
agencies interested in the promo
tion of air power. both ~ a COM
mercisl asset and as a reserve
for the national defense.
Business Understands:
Far-seeing business men in every
section Of the United States, I
found. are fully alive to the vital
importance OF aeronautics. A lead.
ing banker in one Of our Western
cities declared that the air mail
on a certain day a few years ago
would have saved every bank In
the town from being wrecked dur
ing a panic that took possession Of
the place.
Cities in the Middle West have
made exact calculations Of the
hundreds of thousands Of dollars
they would save annually In the
interest on their money transac
tions with New York and San
Francisco II they had an efficient
air mail service from coast TO coast,
and connecting lines north and
south. They bear testimony to
the excellence and usefulness OF
the present limited air mail sery.
Ice. which transported 100000
letters last year without the loss
Of a single life.
Congress Has Failed.
But notwithstanding this splen.
did record. Congress has failed to
give proper support to projects for
the existence and extension of air
mail routes.
Foreigners are working energet-
icaliy in advancing practical avia-
ton. The French are particularly
active in this line. General Deb
eney, president Of the War College,
who commanded the first French
army. recently declared:
, The day will come when dirigible
balloons and airplanes will be SUI
ficiently perfected to fly practically
continuously, carrying great weights
everywhere. Then they will offer
such advantages to commercial ex'
ploitation that they will be as
numerous as is now the case with
auto trucks and automobiles"
President Harding has lost no op-
portunity to express his belief In
air power. In a recent letter to the
Aeronautical Chamber Of Commerce.
he says:
AN amazing development will
take place in the near future in the
utilization Of the air as q medium
of transport and communication. As
| q government. we are aiming TO pro-
vide this art with the necessary
guarantees of law and with such
facilities as may be possible through
the encouragement Of air ways and
terminals"
Thus the President sounds the key
note. And the army and navy are
doing their utmost. They are heartily
cooperating. and the War and Navy
departments are both fully alive TO
the necessity Of promoting civil avla-
ton throughout the country. 1t is
the one and only means Of developing
an air force adequate for the emer-
gency of war.
Notwithstanding the favorable atti.
tude of the President and the gool
work OF the army, the navy and OF
our limited air mail service, the
| United States IL making compare,
lively little progress in aeronautics.
Where, then, Is the fault?"
Legislation Sldetrackod.
It Is to be found In Congress. The
Senate and the House have failed 10
coordinate with the Department OF
Commerce. The wadsworth bill.
which provided laws for the control
of aeronautics and authorized the
organization Of a bureau Of aviation
in the Department Of Commerce, has
been sidetracked in the House.
II may not have been a perfect
measure. but II was a good beginning.
and amendments could have been
adopted later on. 1t Is reported that
personal jeslousies and a failure to
confer and iron out differences of
opinion are responsible for the fail
ure to enact legislation. without
which there can be no progress I'm
this important matter.
There is no head! There is no
driving force. There Is indifference
and neglect where we should have
energetic and intelligent action. The
law.making branch Of the Govern
ment fails to act, and the business
men Of the country are helpless.
But this Is not all. We not only
fail at home, but we neglect to
take part In important conventions
with foreigen countries cnocerning
worldwide aviation. A dispacth
from Paris gives the details of
the first session of the Interna-
tional Commission on Aerial Naviga.
| ton. Great Britain, France and
Japan are there! Bolivia, Persia
and Siam are taking part. But
there is no representative from
the United States. Verify there is
need Of an awakening in this great
oo,,ntru vvhara the art ~ fI,,i,, q,