Evening star., 1924-11-09
ARMY.

=, Army Air Service officers and those
Navy officers engaged in naval aero
nautics are evincing great interest
in the proposal for the establishment
of united air service. Steps have
already been taken, it is stated, for
presenting this consolidation Of the
two air branches of the Army and
e Navy to Congress at the approach
Ing session. Both the Secretary of
War and the Secretary of Navy have
indicated in no uncertain terms their
opposition to a united air service,
Naval officers as a body are unalter-
ably opposed to this proposition.
while it is stated that a difference of
opinion exists among the Army Air
Service officers on this subject.
= Both the advocates and the op-
ponents of the united air service
scheme have voiced some excellent
arguments in support Of their con-
tentions. Proponents of the single
air service point out that the ad-
rninistration and operation of air.
craft activities will be greatly re-
duced in cost: and that as a result
of England consolida ting her royal
mail service and the royal flying
corps into the royal air force into
separate department Great Britain
is much more advanced in aviation
than the United States.
Those opposed to the single air
service propos tion contend that
Great Britain has not profited by any
such beneficial results in her con-
soiidation; that il has resulted in
Implications of cost: and that though
It may prove satisfactory in the
British Isles. there is no justifable
reason for the United States to do
likewise.
Both sides of the controversy will
present a mass Of statistical and
scientific data in support of their
contentious. and in all probability
joint congressional study will be
made of the military and naval air
craft problem, which was seriously
discussed during the last session Of
Congress.
Purchase has been made by the
quartermaster. L. s. forces in China.
OF II Chinese mules for experimental
purposes to determine the compare
tive value of the local animal as
against the imported American ami
NAL. This experiment also includes
The possible adoption of Chinese ve-
hicies. with special adaptations to
make them suitable for military
needs. or alteration of American built
escort wagons and dump carts.
The Chinese animal, natives of
Mongolia and Manchuria, are excep-
tionally sturdy and hardy and stand
on an average between thirteen and
fourteen hands. A not unusual load
for one OF them on fairly smooth
roads is ton or more and an aver
age days march of 25 miles under a
350-pound pack is common. He sub
sists on 4 native ration costing or
dinarily less than 25 cents a day upon
which an American animal would
practically starve.
Maj. Gen. Mason NJ Patrick, chief
OF Air Service, was elected president
Association on the occasion of it's
annual meeting. which was held in
the trophy room of the Munitions
Building recently. The other officers
who were elected for the term expir-
ing in October of 1925 are as follows:
First vice president. Rear Admiral
w. A Monett. chief of the Bureau of
Aeronautics, Navy Department.; sec
ond vice president. Brig. Gen. Will
liam Mitchell, assistant chief of Air
Service: third vice president, Lieut..
Col T. c. Turner, L. S NJ. c.; fourth
vice president. Maj. Charles J. Bid
die. A. s, o. r. C: secretary, Earl
\. Findley; assistant secretary. Capt.
Robert Oldys; treasurer, Lieut. ST.
Clair Street,. L. S. A: assistant
treasurer, Capt. Emory s. Land, L.
s. n, and chairman board of control,
Maj W. c. Kilner. L. S A.
Those who were elected to the
board of control for the term expir-
Ing October. 1927, are as follows:
Lieut.. Col B. F. Castle, Q. r. G:
Maj. Henry c. Pratt. U. S. A.: Maj.
b, Q. Jones, L. S. A, and Maj. Ord
Preston, O. r. g.
Reports reaching Washington in
dicate that the new Army airship
RS-l, which is the first semi-rigid
airship to be constructed in the
United States, Will be ready for her
trials some time during the coming
Winter. The construction of this
latest addition to the air forces of
the Army is being done at Akron
Ohio, and it is planned to use this
ship in connection with the develop
ment of this type of ship as airplane
carriers. Recent tests have already
shown that it is possible to make con-
tact in the air between ship and
plane
The RS-l is in reality the fore
runner of type of ship which will
be known as mother ship" which
Will carry planes. fuel, munitions, per-
sonnel and equipment for an entire
squadron of fighting planes. The
RS-1 will be operated with helium as
a lifting gas.
A new design is now being made
or a carriage to mount the 155-mm
howitzer, the general type of which
is the same as that of the 4.7-inch
gun carriage, model Of 1921. The
pest features of the 1920 and 1921
tnooel carriages are being included
IN this design. 1t is expected that
the total weight of this unit in firing
position will be approximately 10000
pounds. The recoil mechanism wilf1
be of the hydro-pneumatic type with
constant length of recoil while the
total elevation and traverse will be
the same as for the 1920 model car
riage.
Members of the Aztec Club. which
is composed of the Oldest male de-
scendants of those officers who served
in the Mexican War, recently held
their seventy-eighth annual meeting
at the Harvard Club, New York City.
For the coming year the following
officers were elected: President, Mai.
Gen. Charles Henry Martin, L. S. A.;
vice president, William Montgomery
Sweeney; secretary, Maj. Edward
Erskine Hume. L. S. A; treasurer,
Edward Farragut LOCKER
NAVY.
Although no definite announcement
fas been made by the Navy Depart
ment, reports are current that Vice
Admiral Newton A. McCully. now
commander of the scouting fleet, will
be selected as the chief of the Ameri-
can naval mission in Brazil. The
present chief Of the mission, Rear
Admiral Carl T. Vogelgesang, will
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