Evening star., 1923-01-08
URGES AIRCRAFT
FOR BUSINESS USE
Commercial Aviation InvaI-
liable Adjunct to Military,
Gen. Patrick Says.
AID TO PREPAREDNESS
Chief of Army Air Service Cites
Nations Need of Potential
War Reserve.
AID TO PREPAREDNESS

The growth and development of
civil aviation constitutes an invalu-
able adjunct to military preparation
in time of peace, Maj. Gen. Mason NJ.
Patrick. chief of the Army air serv-
ic, declares in his annual report to
Secretary Weeks. made public today.
The value of a well organized system
of commercial flying is discussed at
some length by Gen. Patrick in con-
nection with his report on the CO.
operation of the Army air service
with civil and other governmental
agencies.
THE stimulation OF competition re-
sulting from an extensive use of air
craft for commercial purposes will
insure the greatest progress in design
and production and will at the same
time serve to provide a manufactur-
ing industry capable of meeting the
increased demands of national de-
fense in case of an emergency" says
the air service chief.
Would Encourage Manufacture.
mo nation" he declares, "can af-
ford to support in time of peace an
air force capable of meeting the re-
quirementS of war, and because of the
rapid deterioration of aeronautical
equipment in storage. the proposition
to maintain sufficient war reserve
of aircraft is equally untenable."
Manufacturing facilities are, in them
selves what the air service must rely
upon as a potential war reserve to
augment any supply of planes set
aside as war reserve and which, of
necessity, must be limited in number.
he added
Inadequacy of appropriations for
the replacement of war-produced
equipment involves the use of this old
equipment beyond the time it has
heretofore been considered safe to
fly, Gen. Patrick declares. Recent
now being used are rapidly deterio-
rating. Considerable reconditioning
has already been done, he said, and
it is contemplated to remodel the
last of the DH-4s into DH-4Bs, some
225 in number, from funds provided
for the fiscal year 1928.
Three Years Of Waiting.
Gen. Patrick points out that de-
liveries of new airplanes ordered in
the fiscal year 1924 cannot be ex-
pected until about July L, 1925.
Even if this war-produced equip
ment is made structurally safe for
continued use by greatly increased
expenditures for maintenance and re-
pair, including extensive recondition-
Sy
can hardly be expected to have on
hand any considerable quantity at the
end of three years. 1t is strongly
recommended that a proper program
for the production and purchase of
new aircraft be carefully considered
and funds provided from year to
year."
Federal legislation for the adequate
control of various national and inter
national matters connected with air
navigation is strongly urged by Gen.
Patrick in his report.
Commercial agencies engaged in
the manufacture of aircraft or other
development of aeronautics, the gen
era1 declares, hesitate to apply
themselves whole-heartedly to con-
structive programs, owing to the
lack of such legislation to guide their
efforts; the PRONUNCIATION Of varying
rules and regulations by the several
states of the union, and the probabil-
ity that federal legislation will pre-
sent still other requirements, make
it difficult for such concerns to under
take progressive development"
Needed Rules and Regulations.
The air service chief states that
rules and regulations for aerial
traffic must embrace not alone those
which make for safety in the air, but
also those which provide uniform
regulations for licensing pilots and
aircraft, for the periodic inspection
of aircraft and for safe landing fields.
"They should include provisions for
the adjustments of claims for injury
or damages to persons or property
resulting from the operation of air
craft, whether licensed or not, and
should be so liberal in the provisions
which cover the determination of
responsibility for accidents that
aerial transportation companies or
other agencies directly concerned
will not hesitate to assume the La
bilities which might be incurred by
them in the commercial operation of
aircraft"
1.-The confusion he declared, "aris-
ing from conflicting state laws with
regard to motor vehicles and railroad
transportation should serve as a
warning. The time for the enactment
of uniform legislation is ripe, and 1t
is recommended that such action be
taken without further delay"
Gen. Patrick also urges the devel-
opment of airways throughout the
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