The Washington times., 1923-06-29
PATRICK SHOWS
NEEDFORB BIC
AIR FORCE
General Says It Would Take
U. S. Six Months to Properly
Equip Service.
By MAI. GEN. Nj. M. PATRICK,
Chief of the Air Service, United
States Army.

BY MAJ. GEN. M. M. FAInASN
Chief of the Air Service, United
States Army.
written expressly for Cosmopolitan
News Service.)
If the United States should be
compelled in an emergency to put
an adequate air force in the field
at least six months would be re-
quired, under present conditions
to obtain the airplar1es to properly
equip the service.
Such an emergency would be a
real thing, and the real factor in
meeting it would be our ability to
make airplanes on short order.
This condition is mainly due to
the fact that our airplane industry
is In a 'deplorable condition due to
the lack of commercial business
The few airplane manufacturing
concerns in the United States today
having the facilities to build air
planes in case of an emergency
are kept alive entirely by the mea'
ger orders for aircraft given them
by the Government. Less than
per cent Of the craft manufactured
in the United States are used for
commercial purposes.
We are, then, confronted with
the problem of building up large
airplane industry so that manufac.
turing facilities will be at hand in
case OF an emergency.
Other Nations Preparing.
In 1922 the government of France
aided commercial aviation concerns
to the amount of $3,2OO,000; Eng
land did the same to the extent of
$3.50, 900, while Belgium contributed
$19S, 500. BY this means CONNER
cial aviation in those countries has
been greatly stimulated.
Great, Britain has 600 military
airplanes in use, with approximate
ly 10000 skilled personnel: France
has 1880 such machines. with
about $4,000 skilled personnel; Italy
has ESQ military airplanes in use,
with a personnel of 5000: japan has
$50 military airplanes, with per-
sonnet of 5000, while Russia, ac-
cording to our best information, IS
preparing to build 5000 military
airplanes and to increase her air
force to $4,000 officers and men.
AT the present time the United
States Army Air Service has a
strength of only 5000 officers and
men and about $50 military air.
planes on hand that could be used
in time OF war.
1 do not believe that 1t is going
too far to say that the next great
war will be fought largely in the
air, and If we are to be prepared
to defend this country against at
tack by a first-class power we
must give more attention to our
aerial defenses.
The figures I have given show
the Importance which other ma
lions have attached to their air
defenses. 9,
National Law Necessary.
What, then, is the solution Of
this problem? One thing is Ger.
tain--we must build up an efficient
airplane industry. To do this the
following are necessary: First, we
must have a national law regulat-
ing air traffic. Second, we must
have sufficient appropriations from
Congress to enable our air services
to keep abreast of the progress
in military aviation being made by
other powers. Third, we must edu-
cate the people to the advantages
of air travel and air transportation.
Foreign countries are showing
great energy in the development of
both commercial and military aero
nautics, and in those countries PEG.
pie have begun to look upon avia-
ton as a practical transportation
factor as we'll as a military one.
In this country, aviation is still
looked upon as a novelty and an
experiment. am sure this i'm
preston will change in time: but,
in the meantime, we are faced with
the startling fact that we are every
day tagging behind.