Evening star., 1925-10-14
GIVES ARMY STAFF
VIEWS ON AIRCRAFT 7
Brig. Gen. Drum Says Pres
ent System, Long Studied,
Is Best for u. S. Defense.

The Army general staff laid before
the Presidents Air Board yesterda y
evening its side of the story in the
present air controversy
Brig. Gen. Hugh A. Drum. assist
ant chief of staff. who in hte pasl
has been the spokesman for the Army
governing body before aircraft in
vestigators. read a 51-page typewrit
ten statement which took Cogniza nee
of virtuaiS III arguments advanced
before the board by air officers: op
posed the separation of the flying
branch from the Army and the crea
tion of department of national de
fense, and declared the ''dogsed de
termination" of the American infa n
tryman Is the backbone of the ma
tion'S defense
The statement was prefaced With
the remark that the War Depart.
ment has considered with painsta king
thoroughness and care the various
propositions and views presented to
the board" The main proposals. Ii
added, have been studied in one form
or another before. during and since
the World War.
Has Definite Policies.
consequently" Gen. Drum read.
"the War Department has crystailized
its views on Air Service organiza
tion into sane. definite and well
thought out policies These views were
concurred in by the chief of the Air
Service, Maj Gen. Mason NJ. Pat
rock" The were" in the last sen
tence of the foregoing paragrap phi was
underscored In the official text of the
statement
Gen. Drum appeared on the stand
after Gen. Patrick had discussed in
detail with the board his plans for a
separate air corps. The Air chief
said he took his plan to the staff De-
Cemher 10. 1924. but that he never
heard a word about it nor was asked
TO explain any part of it, until this
investigation began"
Analysis of Proposal.
A detailed analysis of the proposed
department of national defense as
advocated in testimony by Gen. Pat
rick, Col. William Mitchell and sew
eral other witnesses was given in Gen
Drums . statement.
1t is believed Cen Drum testi-
fed. that the ideas expressed by the
chief of the Air Service are funda-
mentally unsound in his con
ception of new national defense doc
trine whereby the theater of opera
fionS along our frontier is to he divided
into three 'theaters of action. sea air
and land, each with separate COM
mander, responsible for national de-
fense in his respective theater''
The general staff was said to view
as "unsound'' the proposal for sep
arate air corps within the Army,
urged by Gen. Patrick as a step look
ing TO creation of the defense depar TT
ment.
Asserting that air units are essen
tial 70 an army and must be an in
tegral part thereof" Gen. Drum added
that we must not he blinded To the
saoSifices Of the American doughbov."
Value Of Infantry.
The prance Of horses" he con-
tinued, the booms of cannon and
the whirl of airplane propellers cannot
replace the dogged determination the
will to win Of the American in
fantryman. The mechanical device
can never replace the mental. moral
and physical qualities of man
Discussing the "balanc army"
the general declared every bra nch
of the Army desires additional funds
for efficient rrepar ra tion for war"
The Air Service is no worse Oft .
he added, than the Infantry, Cav
airy and other bra nches of the Army.
in matters rela ting to promotion
housing, ration alowa noes and lack
Of funds with which to purchase ma
terial.
Gen. Patrick claims that the War
Department has not realized the fun
Importance Of the air arm and re-
CARDS its Air Service g a stepchild.
The Air Service in the United States
Regular Army is given greater rela-
tive strength than in the military
peace organization of any other coun-
try of military Importance, except
possibly Great Britain. whose geo
graphical and political position war
rants special air strength.
Increase I'm Funds.
'In comparison the Air Service has
had its appropriations increased in the
last two years to a larger extent than
any branch of the Army
Air Service flying officers received
approximately so per cent more pay
than officers of similar length of
service and grade In other arms. The
chief Of Air Service is the highest
paid officer in the Regular Army.
The impression is given that our
Air Service units are not comma nded
sy flying officers. Such inferences
have sensational ring. but are not
horne out by facts. All flying units
are directly commanded by Air Service
flying officers All non flying officers
are on staff or student duty.
The chief of Air Service commands
and is directly responsible for more
than 10 per cent Of the Air Service
forces in the United States
Gen. Drum specifically denied
charge by Maj. Walter G.. kilner.
executive officer of the Air Service.
that il took a year and six days TO
arrange for the world flight assert
ing "the fight was approved in prin
ciple within less than three weeks y
Much of Gen. Drums testimony
was in support OF these three con-
clusions of the General staff:
Air power alone cannot win a war.
THAT there is no separate tactical
or stratecical mission for air power
That the present Army organiza
tion is sound. and that the air corps
unsound. stratesically. tactically and
administratiVelX.'
Asserting that In "the tumble of
ideas presented for reorganization of
he Air Service that real unity of
conception and conclusion appears
only in the basic desire for separa
ton" Gen. Drum set forth in detail
the General Staff's opposition to the
proposed separate air corps within
the Army, and declared the proposal
cannot he justified on any grounds
whatever"