Evening star., 1925-02-18
LA GUARDIA RAPS
COAST DEFENSES
IN AIRCRAFT ROW

COAST DEFENSES
IN AIRCRAFT ROW
Continued from First Pase.)
tions at McCook Field ana Phiiadel-
phia. At present we need new mo-
tors because we have to build every
thing around the Liberty engine to use
up the war stock
Cr1ticizes Buying Policies.
The witness declared the present
policy OF the Government in award
Ing contracts for airplanes to the
lowest bidder was unfair and he
Believed the original designer and
constructor should be given priority
over those firms which have no en-
gineering facilities. but just make
Chinese copies"
Tho meeting today opened with. q
row In which J. ". Martin, an air
craft manufacturer with many griev-
ances and Representative Reid Of
Illinois, committee member, played
the leading roles. Mr.. Martin ap-
peared to show why his aircraft de-
signs and patterns are good and
should have been accepted by the
Army and Navy, which, however, they
were not Representative Reid did
not care to hear Mr.. Martins argu-
ment In the absence of an official
'yardstick." which determines the
acceptance Of planes by the two serv-
ices. Il spent all Summer trying to
get something out of tho Army and
Navy on these tests" declared Repre-
sentative Reid. who. when informed
the standards Of acceptance were con-
hnanffQv dnnyop0l nA.v l.
country knows about them but the
committed"
He said. What Mr.. Martin was
talking about doesn't mean anything
to me-"
1t was then moved by Representa-
tive Reid that the "yardstick" be fur
nished the committee as soon as DOS
sible, along with certain designs and
models of the pioneer aviator, which
Mr. Martin charged are being guard-
ed "as confidential" Mr.. Martin. who
mad begun discussion OF an inven-
ton known as the aorodynamtc
staoilizer and which, it Is claimed.
VIII Keep an airplane nghtside up
at all times while In flight, then was
excused until the committee could
get the other side OF the story from
the Army and Navy.
Arouses Inventors Ire.
Comdr. H. c. Richardson. ch;ef ~
the design section Of the Bureau Of
Aeronautics, who flew across the
Atlantic in the NC-4, took the stand
and declared MIR. Martins aerody-
namio stabilizer was faulty and i'm
practicable" This aroused Mr. Mar
uns anger. and. jumping up from
mis- place among the spectators, he
declared Comdr. Richardson had
never flown MI
his invention, and therefore was not
qualihed to talk about it. Comdr.
Richardson said 1t was not necessary
to ny plane equipped with this
device to demonstrate IL was mot
practicable"
Mr.. Martin again took the stand,
and at the outset of an hours techni-
cal discus ssion OF his devices declared
Corndr. Richardson's testimony was
based on "hearsay," and he produced
statements of those who have
flown planes equipped with the in
ventton and pronounced it wonderful"
Testimony Ii Helpful.
Confidential testimony given the
committee yesterday by representa-
tives of Secretaries Weeks and Will
bur threw "a flood of light upon the
question of general defense, espe-
cially In regard to aircraft" Repre-
sentative Perkins, Republican, New
Jersey, the committee examiner, said
after the executive session OF the
committee yesterday. The witnesses
were Rear Admiral Hilary P. Jones,
president of the naval general board !;
Maj. Gen. John l. Hines, chief of the
Army general stan, Assistant Secre-
tary OF the Navy Robinson and Maj.
+. b. Wilby of the War Department
Members would not disclose the de-
fense plans OF the country against
an air attack, but II was learned that
they were not thoroughly satisfied
with the adequacy Of the Air ServiceE
The opinion was evident that It
might be advisable to go moro ex-
haustively into tho condition Of the
Air Services, especially that Of the
Army. or take up the advisability of
recommending to the House the ap-
pointment Of commission to study
the situation during the Summer.
One member OF the committee is
understood to have said that after
hearing the Army statement he could
appreciate the reason for the posi-
tion taken by Brig. Gen. William
Air Service, whose testimony before
the committee has stirred UP con-
siderable controversy. Another men,
ber, after leaving the committee
room, is quoted as having remarked
that 1t was "merciful" that the
United States was surrounded by
large oceans.
Say Planes Toe Few.
It also was learned that the COM
mittee found out that only Of the
100 or more members OF tho Army
general staff were from the Air
Service. and that the present number
Of airplanes was far below tho War
Department specifications for war
defense. Although Army plans are
said to call for an initial quota Of