The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-10-06
"A ID "A Y S
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With JIM RING
"A PATRIOT.

4 anyone asked Re Ed to cite
re modern, living example OF
simon-pure practical patriotism,
the name Of John Currell would
come first to our lips.
TO the everyday world, CurreIl
IL mechanic, living modestly in
q room that fronts on the PEN
z sion Office park. But there are
some gentlemen, close in the con-
fidence of the Government, who
know him as a man who dreams
great dreams, and one whose
dreams find form In steel.
In the early days OF this CEN
fury, when he was in the navy,
4 Currell became interested in air.
craft as 4 war weapon. His
thoughts along these lines he
began to put on paper. His
superiors saw brains In his
penciled plans and diagrams,
and accordingly he was sent to
the seaman gunners' class in
Washington.
Here he continued his work,
and it was not long before he stood,
smiling and confident, in the
office Of Truman III. Newberry,
then Secretary Of the Navy, to
explain his newest creation, the
aerial bomb.
He asked no money for his
service to the Government, and
he asked no recognition. Con-
gress satisfied him by passing
an appropriation of large pro.
portions back in the pre.war
days for the expert study and
development Of aircraft in its
relation to war.
Takes Up Private Work.
The years rolled along. Currell
went out Of the navy, and be-
gan private work as q mechanic.
StiIl he planned and worked and
gave the fruits OF his labor to the
Government.
He saw the necessity OF q
lighted way across the country for
the air mail, and offered this
thought to the National Advisory
Committee on Aeronautics. They
told him 1t was too pretentious--
that It was years ahead Of its
time. But within two years the
Postoffice Department experts had
been given the idea and had
worked out the route.
Now he is interested in the
squabble over the relative merits
of the airplane and the battle.
ship in warfare, and he cham.
pions the former, in a letter to
this writer, He says:
1t Is as hard to teach old sea
dogs new tricks in warfare as it
has been in past years, regarding
new weapons and methods, to use
defensively.
The naval officers Of today
know the superiority OF the mod
ern man-of-war over the old
wooden frigate, but the old.tiners
Of the day when the iron ship was
introduced could not see it, and
many protested, cpndemning the
new vessels, both as means Of de-
Tense and attack.
SO it is today that some naval
officers and others cannot see the
future OF airships against battle
ships.
End OF DreadnougIts Seen.
II think that within ten or. fif.
teen years the modern superdread.
thoughts and battle cruisers win be
things Of the past. There viii
be light, fast cruisers, with large
secondary batteries, to act AZ con.
.voys to vessels and aircraft car.
rlers. The cruisers could man
euver swiftly and have an ade-
quate battery for defense against
q Few a1rplanes, but not against
q large air attack.
The days OF the superdread-
nought and heavy vessels Of war.
ana submarines, are nearing their.
end, and the nation having an ade-
Quate aerial force will have the
best protection and insurance
against war"
Currell one day pictured to us
the results of a fight between an
air squadron of the future and a
. Few battleships. He fears collisions
between planes II too great a num-
Der are in the air. and foresees
easier destruction by fire from
torpedo boats and destroyers.
The use of smoke and gas bombs
by planes upon q battleship would
put the vessels anti-aircraft gun
crews out Of commission or, at
least would seriously handicap
them. Decentralization of fight
ing vessels crew is the worst
thing that could happen to q bat.
tleship, Currell holds.
Maybe wen have to wait ten
or fifteen years to see Currell's
prophecy come true. And then
again, perhaps it may be sooner.
"But it's coming" says Currell.
IT couldn't see it SO plainly IL it
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