Evening star., 1923-07-01
ARMY AND NAVY NEWS
BY M. H. MCINTYRE

have on the air program here and
! the appropriation Congress will make.
With the budgets both in the Army
and Navy for the air services still
! In the making, no definite figures of
! the amount that will be asked for
| can be given. Both the Army air
service and naval aeronautics have
had definite plans for expansion for
| more than a year. however. and there
is growing hope in both branches
that the remarkable expansion of the
air forces abroad will tend to greatly
liberalize the attitude of Congress
toward an adequate development of
aviation here.
An interesting compilation of data
showing the comparative status of
naval aviation here and abroad has
just been completed In the bureau of
incomplete. gives a fair idea of
where the United States stands
Due to the fact that in Great
Britain the air forces of the army
and navy are combined in the royal
air force, while here and in France
tney are separate. an accurate COM
parison Is difficult to reach. Further
the total number of planes each has
does not adequately answer, as they
are of such totally different types
and characteristics.
| one OF the most satisfactory means
| OF comparisons was found In the ex-
penditures for the present fiscal year.
which shows the amount spent in
the United States to have been less
than half that spent in Great Britain
ana only slightly more than half that
spent in France. The apparent weak
ness OF the French figures, however.
| is more than offset by the preponder-
ance of her military aviation over
all other countries.
The tabulation Of expenditures is
as follows:
United States.
Army air service. e.............. Si2 500 900
To-, a'ia'ioh .'''.'.........''. sd4'ao. O ooO
, Iotai .....................-. S2I 200. 900
| Great Britain.
| Excluding Royal Air Force in Indal
! Royal air force. ce.................. S86. .424 900
France.
Army and navy com ined
| tapproXimate) ...-............ S4i,6Oo,UOO
| France has in operation in her en-
tire aviation service about 12s squad
| ronS. composed of 1.152 machines.
England had In service thirty-two
| squadrons of 384 machines, with sew
| eral more squadrons only recently or
ganiZed, and the United States. rough
ly. about 500 machines. of which 200
| are under naval aviation.
Navy.
Acceptances for the Alnav> dinner
| to be held July IL at the Raleigh are
\ pouring in to the committee and there
is every indication that the second
of these get together dinners" will
be even a greater success than the
(, initial one held last year.
| The original suggestion came from
! Secretary DENLY. the idea that it
would serve the purpose of getting
| the officers together and better ac-
| quainted in an informal and social
| way, thus creating a better mutual
| liking and understanding and a bet
| ter general esprit de corps AS be-
I fore the gathering will be limited to
/ the secretary, assistant secretary.
, commissioned officers of the Navy and
Marine Corps and retired officers on
| active duty in the District of
Columbia, including Anacostia.
| The following committee. with
! Capt. Chester Wells as chairman. will
have charge of the arrangements and
| the dinners: Arrangements. Com
mander Courts, United States Navy:
Lieut. Rittenhouse MARINE Corpse
limited States Navy; Lieut.. Armstrong,
f, United States Navy. and Capt. Arthur,
United States Marine Corps. Enter
! tainment: Commander Oman (Marine
Corps), United States Navy. and Lieut..
! Shelley, United States Navy. Deco
rations: Lieut.. Commander Hinkamp.