Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-12-03
Air Service Needs
Souther Field

The next war will be fought
largely from the air and with
chemicals. That nation which
is best equipped in these two
departments of defense and
offense will be victorious.
This statement is not new. 1t
has been expressed over and
over again by men whose bust
ness it is to study such matters,
as we'll as by other students of
world affairs.
Budgets for the next fiscal
year are now before Congress
asking specified sums for each
department of the Federal gov
!, eminent. The army officials
will demand their share of the
nations taxes and will main
tain that the protection of the
country lies in granting their re-
quests. The navy will do like
wise. Each will provide sum
for aviation. Neither will agree
that aviation should become a
department of its own.
But the average layman thinks
that aviation is as separate and
distinct from army and navy as
a means Of defense, as those
two departments are separate
from each other.
Air defense should be di- 4
vorced from the other two arms
and given a distinct place of its
own. Its development will be
more rapid, more efficient, and
America is sadly in need of more
adequate aid defense.
A frank, unvarnished criticism
of the unpreparedness of the
United States in the crisis of
the World War. and recommen-
dations for changes, improve
fnents and expansion which he
deems necessary for adequate
defense of the country were
Brought out clearly and forcibly
in the final report to his gov
eminent by General John ].
Pershing ,as chief of staff Of the
army.
Heading the list of his rec
concentrations is this state
ment:
The infantry is still the back
bone of the Army and should be
strengthened and adequately
supported; but the Air Service
has grown to be one of the most
necessary arms of the service,
and the most vital need at pres
ent is for its increase by gradual
development.
] AS an important auxiliary arm
the air service should be availa-
bic for independent use in mass,
Z or otherwise, wherever necessa-
ry. Our air service should be de-
! veloped to every reasonable ex-
tent, both as to personnel and
I material; and it is essentially
necessary that aircraft produc-
ton be established and main
: tanned on such a basis as to be
easily expanded in time of emer-
: gency.
Z OF our experience in the
y world war with particular ref
{ erence to the air service Gen
! eral Pershing minces no words.
!. Explaining his assertion that,
: while the air service is the most
: important arm of the serviceh
: he said:
= Our experience in the World
& War as to airplane production
! and the training of personnel
Il should be continuously borne in
K mind. Early in 1917, it will be
s. recalled, an appropriation of
Z S6OO,O00,000 was hastily made
I with what seemed to be an eff
:, fort to overcome previous mex
z cusable neglect to makepjrovis-
: ion even for experimental inves-
= tigation, to say nothing of prep
:. aration for the manufacture of
: airplanes. The voice of criticism.
Z for previous inaction was appar-
= emily stilled, for the time being,
= by the loudly-heralded purpose
: to send $4,000 airplanes to the
western front without delay-a
<. declaration that later brought
" many an embarrassing moment to
2 those of us abroad who knew
: how boastfuI and baseless such
3. claims were. 1t is a matter of
{. record that even the type of
4 plane to be put into production
was not decided upon until sew
eral months after we entered the
: 4 war, and that no American plane
was flown in battle until August,
p4es and only some 500 planes