The Washington times., 1923-10-03
AERONAU TICS
ABRIDGIlIG
DISTANCE
General Patrick Urges Need 81
Y. $. Aid to Garry o.
Development.
BY MAJ. GEN. MASON M.
PATRICK.

II EATkeACk,
Chief, United STATES Army Ar gnrvine.
Il Whlesen Tot Cosmopolitan News Service.
i st. LOUIS, Oct S.--Many years
ago. wise philosopher Is credited
VIII the remark that: Those in
rance are the greatest beliefactors
of mankind. iii this be true. m
1 believe it Is, we have N aero.
nautics not only j rreat railItsrv
weapon but one Of the most potent
inventions for good that has ever
lbeen discovered.
Interest in aeronautics III Amer
lea dates from the World war.
Up 70 that time very few air
planes on aviation engines had
been produced IN this country,
The demands made BY the war
stimulated manufacturers 10 pro-
duce aircraft sc rapidly as pos
sible, but Il was many months
after we had entered the Euro.
pean conflict before quantity pro.
dqctiOn was attained. Our efforts
we're concentrated mainly on the
production Of the Liberty engine.
the DeHaviland observation type
plane, and the training plane. Other
types Of planes, especially pursuit
FLAMES, ware ia pp purchased abroad
and the United States waa to send.
overseas certain Nv material
necessary FOR their construction.
Develbpnent ThreA tened.
At the present time the United
states has Considerable number
Of Liberty engines ard some others
on hand but no additional Liberty
engines have been built since the
close of the war Since 1918 we
have heeti largely dependent IN syar
produced Aircraft ana the orders Tor
new planes placed with the manu-
facturers have been very Few. AS
the Government IS ct present 81.
most the only user 81 aircraft. the
Industry Ia this counkry has shrunIk
70 almost neeliRibIe proportions.
This condition has progressively
1r0wn worse until today Il - q
matter 0f great concern, fOr IT
threateHA the healthy development
NJ tlle aerOIiauttcnl art
Tho economic Importance ~ b
form Of transportatio that can
catee the country ID shrink to less
than One-thitd it present aize. from
the point Of View % accessibility,
that can deliver malls from coast TO
coast III twenty eikht nouns 81 less.
scaFoely needs any argument to
| establish IL. The recent lon.stop
trahscbntinentaI flight 81 approxi.
nAtely 1900 miles ii less than
twenty hours, and the recent
nisht from Long IsIand, y. ~. To-
Rock Springs, Wyo., III thirteen
hours. distance 81 approximately
| ], 800 miles. are Indicative of what
may be expected IN the ftfture.
Banks the country over are con-
tinualiy transferring funds ana
securities from one city ID another,
4 considerable saving III time viii
Be affected when these packages
are forwarded ~ air, especially
when night flying Ii commonly
undertaken. This saving Of time
win result in gain OF the interest
now lost while funds are III transit,
the totals Of which run into large
| figures. The air mail has already
blazed the way Ii this form 81
transportation.
Government Aid Needed.
Other valuable documents and ex.
press matter, particularly parish
able articles, will eventually be
carried by air along the commercial
Always. With the establishment
or chains Of landing fields along
the principal traffic routs Of the
country viii come & general awaIS.
ening Of interest IN the use 81
passenger-carrying aircraft. When
commercial aviation Ii firmly estab.
lished In this country the aeronaiI-
ticaI industry win Increase accord.
ingly and we shall have O. potential
reserve which can be depended
/ upon In time. OF war.
Many types Of commercial air.
plans can be readily converted into
military craft for various WARTIME
Ipurpoees: and the Factories an.
gagged III their manufacture ara
available at once, upon outbreak H
hosttlities, to produce military
planes. Those facts have already
been noted In European countries
4 whore commercial afr Transportation
companies are operating reruIa rIv
carrying thousands OF nassen 1ers
i and many tons. Of freight. This
rapid development abroad has beer
possible only because the govern.
fnerts concerned have adotted the
policy Of aiding commercial All
transportation by substantial sub.
NN L.