Evening star., 1925-12-03


In brief the board thinks the fol-
lowing ma ior conclusions. if accepted
by the proper authorities, will clear
up the matter:
Appointment of assistant secretaries
OF War. Navy and Commerce to han
die aviation matters exclusively in
those departments:
The military and civilian aria ton
interests should remain distinctly sep
arate in determining an aviation policy
for the United States:
Commercial and civil aviation should
be developed and encouraged by the
creation of d Bureau of Air NaVica ton
In the Department of Commerce; by
progressive extension of the air mail
service. preferably by contract and
by steps TO meet the manifest need
Tor airways and air navigation facili-
ties
Maintain naval aviation in due re-
lation to the feet;
There should not be Depa rtment
of National Defense, either as com
prising the Army and the Navy or as
comprising three coordinate depart
mentS OF Army. Navy and Air:
There should not be formed sep
erate Department for Air. coordinate 2
with the present Departments of War
and Navy: and
The United Ste les is NOT in da anger
by air attack from any potential
enemy Of menacing strength.
Some Changes Proposed.
recommendations regarding changes
In The handling of the Army and
Navy air services personnel. are given
follows:
Army Air ServiCe-ChanGe name to
Air Corps" to avoid confusion be.
tween the name of the branch and
certain phases of its duties;
create in each of the five divisions
Of the general staff an air section 10
he headed by general stan officer
detailed from the Air Corps tAir
ServiCe):
Provide by Congress for Two more
hricsder generals. one to he in charge
of procurement and the other TO head
the training schools around San An
tonic, Tex:
Provide rank commensurate with
command during the present shortage
of field officers in the Air Corps tAir
Service) by having the Secretary of
War assign Air Corps officers to fy-
Ing command not to exceed IL i'm
portant air stations and receive the
temporary rank appropriate TO such
command for the period of assign
ment:
'lvin@ pay should he retained and
recognized as ''perma nent in time OF
peace" and suitable study should be
made of the subject of insurance for
the airmen:
Institute "A special aviation medal
and ribbon for extraordinary heroism
In either peace or war:
Suitable appropriations to provide
proper training of reserve officers.
necessary training planes and sub
sidialy flying fields for the use of
the reserve.
Increase the number of institutions
where ground destruction is given to
Reserve Officers Training Corps units
In the fundamentals OF military aero
nautiCS;
Enlisted Men as Pilots.
Study the desira hility of increasing
the use of enlisted man az pilots in
the Air Corps:
\ plan for expansion of personnel
and equipment should not exceed five
Years and the provisions OF the Las.
sitter boarG. providin" for a l0-year
building program. should be made the
subject Of turthCr study under COM
p"tept &uthorit..
THE recommends tons affecting
Nav aviation IIe-Sonnel are:
The carrying as extra numbers. and
FL their own request. OF officers dine
nr stehO of the .raCla of captain. COM
mander and lieutenant commander.
who have specialized in aviation so
long as to jeopaE4iGe their selection
for the next higher grade and thus
insure such promotion as would be
otherwise due;
The giving of temporary rank as
captain, commander or lieutenant
commander to any officer Of a Junior
grade when he is detailed to duty
requiring specialization in aviation
and for which the higher rank is
proper:
The maintenance oi fight pay as
~ present and study Of the insurance
question:
Additional plans for and suitable
provisions for the training of re.
serves:
Representation rf naval aviation in
the Office of the Chief of Naval Opera
tions and Bureau of Navigation. This
X analogous to the inriltration of Air
corps officers into the general staff
nj The Army.
Preference for Command.
Preference for command of carriers
and other duties concerning aeronau.
tics and general naval training should
he given TO naval aVistors if qualified
in the lines outside Of aerona utics
An aviator assigned to general line
duty for purposes of qualification In
command should be disa ssocia ted
from aviation to the minimum e..,u..t.
Junior officers in aviation who, for
any reason, have not had the required
sea duty should have that duty be-
fore being examined for promotion
Special insignia for aviators (wingS
should be retained and a special deco
RI tion, as in the ca Sc of the Army
should be provided for.
study should be made to secure
a method through which sufficiently
attractive careers NAV be provided in
order to retain qualified technical Of
ficerS in naval aeronautic design nd
construction: and
\ study should be made Of the de.
sra bility of increa sing the use Of en-.
listed men as pilots In ma val avis ton
duty.
Expansion OF Industry.
For the aircraft industry's exps n.
sion and development as far o. the
Government is concerned, the boa I'd
further recommends:
Adoption of policy OF continuity in
orders and OF a standard rate OF re.
placement.
Production Of orders to be given
only to companies which MAINTAIN in de.
sign Staffs Of rea asonable size and keen
them active.
Proprietary rights in design TO be
fully recognized.
Governmental competition with civil
industry In production activity be
eliminated except in those projects
impracticable of realization by the
civil industry.
During a period of production of q
type accepted as standard there be
placed a succession of small orders
for experimental designs, the best of
these produced during two or three