Evening star., 1924-03-30
AIR FORCE MAY BECOME
u. S. GREATEST DEFENSE
Probe May Reveal Vital Necessity of
Nation Remaining Abreast of
Others in Developments

cific and d. Atlantic neet-and yet IL
s. admittedly defenseless. Every time
there have been naval maneuvers and
strategic games at the isthmus those
defending it have always lost
While the investigation Of the air
craft industry has resulted from
charges of irregularity and protests
against the cross-licensse agree
ments, and while the chairman of the
patents committee, a member of the
republican "insurgent" group, heads
up the investigation. it is intended to
use this opportunity to throw a.
searchlight on the real place of air
craft in the nations defense.
Representative J. Mayhem VAIN
wright of New York, an overseas
veteran and former assistant secre-
tary of war, and Representative Roy
G. Fitzgerald Of Ohio are TO lead the
effort and feel encouraged to believe
that some constructive benefit for the
national defense will come out OF
this investigation. They are impress
ing upon their colleagues that the
key to the national defense is in the
air and that this country must keep
at least abreast of other great pow
ers in this regard.
Would Determine Its Place.
Their principal drive will be to
have the aircraft investigating com
mittee make a survey of the national
defense and determine the real place
of aviation in the scheme.
In juStifying the increased appro-
priation the national advisory com
mittee for aeronautics, composed OF
the best technical talent of the coun-
try, warned Congress that it was )
needed to meet the existing demand
for new technical knowledge in aero
nautics and in order to enable this
country to keep abreast of other ma
tions in the rapid development of
aviation. 1t was shown that the
Army and Navy air services rely
upon that committee to conduct and
coordinate fundamental aeronautical
research and to furnish reliable in
formation and data on which the de-
sign of military and naval aircraft is
based.
DR.. Charles D. walcott, chairman
of this committee, explained to the
appropriations committee the situa-
ton regarding aeronautical patents
and the cross-license agreement
which was the subject of two critical
speeches in the House by Representa-
tive John NJ. Nelson of Minnesota on
which the aircraft investigation is
based He said the agreement was
entered into as a war emergency, and
that any one who feels dissatisfied,
and that they were not properly rec
ognized by the government at that
time, can enter into the agreement
now. "They can also go to the courts
at any time and present their cases,
and if they have been wronged and
can prove it they can collect damages
| through the courts, and we told them
at the time that they could do that"
Holds Most World Records.
with this country outclassed by
European nations when we went into
| the war in the technical knowldege
of aeronatics, remarkable headway
| in the science has been made sincs
| the armistice so that of forty-six So
called world records as recognized
by the Federation Aeronautique In
ternationale, America holds thirty
seven, as compared to four for France.
three for England, and one each for
| Italy and Spain. America is weak.
| however, in numerical strength. our
| reliance being mainly placed in we'll
trained but relatively small Army.
Navy and air mail services" DR.. Wal
| colt stressed.
| The fact that the Limitation of ar
mament conference placed no limits-
tion on the development and applica-
tion of aeronautics for war purposes
assures the greater relative impor-
tance of aircraft in future warfare
and none can safely predict the ulti-
mate application of aviation to phr-
poses of personal transportation and
| commerce.