Evening star., 1924-01-27
NEW A|R>FlELD SITE
NEAR D. c. FAVORED
Gen. Patrick Would Abandon
Anacostia for Highway
Bridge Location.

Maj. Gen. Mason NJ Patrick, chief
of the Army air service. in his com
plete annual report to the adjutant
general of the Army made public last
night, recommends that every effort
be made TO secure site just below
the Highway bridge on the Virginia
side of the Potomac river as the
new location for Boiling Field, now in
Anacostia. d. c.
Gen. Patrick recommends that on
this site a model air service station
suitable for all military purposes ana
in keeping with the beauty and
charm Of the National Capital be
established
Field consists of 275 acres of land.
and because OF it's shape, airplant>
in landing must at all times parallel
the major axis OF the field regardless
of the wind direction, declares th.3
report.
Reports Poor Drainage.
This restriction, coupled with the
unfavoratle surroundings and The
poor draining facilities, renders il uH1
suitable for any but the most limited
flying activities, declared Gen. Pat.
rick. He added that these undesir.
able features have been appreciated
from the very start. and impr0y,
ments for the present site have boon
withheld in the hope that another
and better location might be secured.
The desirability," continued G-lt
Patrick, 'of having an attractiv',
efficient and accessible air station in,
the immediate vicinity OF Washing
ton il readily apparent. not only as .
military requirement, but as an addti
attraction and an educational intip-
ence upon the thousands of pronii-
nent citizens who visit this els
yearly" The proposed. site Is within
ten minutes of the. State, War and
Navy building by automobile-an iln~
Eortant consideration In any emeF-
gency requiring the use of airplaues
for transportation or communication
purposes.
Want Better Promotion List.
An attempt to bring about soit:-
ton of a distressing condition amous
air service officers is made by &C.,
Patrick. who recommends a separft E
promotion list for his branch. 4
Approximately so per cent of to
air service officers are tear the bot !.
tom of the promotion list and cannot
hope to be captains fer many year"
the report declared. "A number ~
them in the normal course of events
will never become majors"
Such a condition." he continucGs
can be IeHleIiSu olig pIdClnE q II
service officers on il separate list for
promotion under system somewha /,
similar to that now in effect for the
Medical Corps. A draft of legisla-
ton covering these require ments H.
been submitted to the War Depart
ment and 1t is recommended that titet.
passage of this bill be urged upon
Congress"
High Casualty Rate. :
The promotion limitation Of ir
service officers, Gen Patrick explain :
ed. is perpetuated through the hist
casualty rate due to aircraft acci-
dents. During the calendar year
1922 there were seventy-eight deaths
among the commissioned personnel
of the Army at large. OF the forty
eight violent deaths included in this
number. thirty-eight were air serv :
Ice officers killed in aircraft accidents
The ten violent deaths in other arm y
were distributed through 10000 off
fcers. while. the thirty-eight in the
air service were applied against a
total of less than 900.
This gives at a glance, continued
Gen. Patrick, an idea of the COM
parative accident casualty rate The
replacement of these losses by new
appointments at the bottom of the
list completes cycle of negative ac-
celeration which under the present
system serves to keep the bulk of air
service officers at or near the bottoftl
of the list