The Washington times., 1925-10-02
GIVES PLAN
To ASSIST
filters
Continued from First Page.)


the benefits they want by legisla,
ton without going to an air corps,
and keep the filters in line.
II recommend that a strong avia-
ton section should be built up in
the bureau of operations, which
could operate all airplanes.
ut is my idea that the aviatons-
should be granted these modest
requests. But in addition any navy
need experienced aviators in the
upper grades, in order that the
benefit of their long experience may
be utilized in administration work.
Therefore. they should be promoted
in a class OF their own. still retain
ing them in the line, faster If nee
essaray than their fellows qualified
for ship duty only"
Rodgers heatedly denied the Navy
was responsible for failure Of the
Hawaiian flight, the Shenandoah
disaster, or the sinking of the
submarine Sol.
Il see in the papers many articles
which say that the Hawaiian flight
ifIasco' the Shenandoah and the
S-51 catastrophes coming so close
together, would indicate that there
is something the matter with the
Navy Department" said Rogers.
"Of the Hawaiian flight. 1 am
qualified to speak. and fail to see
how any possible stretch of the
imagination can attach any blame
to the department for the fact that
the flight did not work out as
planned.
Can't See Reasons
IT cannot see how the Navy De-
partment can, in any way, be re-
sponsible for the fact that a good
airship. well manned and captained.
goes out on cruise. meets heavy
weather and is lost.
How can the Navy Department
prevent a Savannah line steamship,
which by the rules of the road, is
required to keep clear, from run
ring down a submarine.
Nevertheless, there is something
vitality wrong with the Navy De-
partrsnt. It is a matter, however,
which has no bearing on these ac-
cidents and has no bearing on the
personal efficiency of any officer
stationed in the department. The
Navy Department is not organized
on the principles of scientific or
ganization. as / understand them.
Briefly, there must be a stronger
cp-ordinating and controlling force.
There must be a more highly de-
veloped plans division in order that
the navy may be developed and be
ready to meet the needs of tonor-
row as well as of today. The pow
ers of the individual bureaus should
he combined under one chief of
supply. Operations should take lis
proper place as function and not
as controlling head of the Navy
Department.: and a division of in
spection. which is necessary for
the efficiency Of any human effort,
should be installed.
Defense Kindred.
Until some such organization as
I have outlined above is made ef-
fective the complicated problem OF
providing for the national defense
on the sea cannot be solved, and
aircraft. like all other craft. will
not work at a maximum efficiency"
Rodgers proposed a national de-
partment of defense in the Cabinet,
with coordinate branches for the
army. navy and a department Of
supplies.
When he reached this portion of
his prepared statement. Rodgers
hesitated:
1T has been suggested that I
shouldn't go farther-that the rest
IL too visionary"
But without giving the source Of
the suggestion. Rodgers went on:
This plan you may say is Wis
ionary-too great an upheaval--too
difficult TO attain. But the problem
of national defense without consid-
ering the ajrplane is SO complicated
and so difficult that the introduc-
ton of the airplane makes it abso-
lutely necessary to install a highly
scientific organization in order that
the best defense be obtained for the
money expended, and without such
an organization the aircraft ques-
ton cannot be solved to the best
advantage.
Cites Solution
'To sum up. / would say that
the whole question may be satisfac-
torily solved for the moment by
'I-AViation budget.
''2-ImprOVement of personnel sit
uatiOD, fixing by law the retention
Of officers in the line of the navy
on a special list.
"3-EStabIishment Of strong
aviation section i'm operations.
For a permanent and final solu-
ton, appoint the strongest man at
tainable ass secretary Of the ma
tional defense. give him a good
iii A