The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-09-21
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what limited in numbers. is unex.
celled by any afr service IN the
world.
From the technical standpoint,
the remarkable development of the
equipment is evidences by the many
world records held.
Equipment Is Inadequate
THE amount of equipment is in
adequate, but this IS controlled by
the funds available.
1.-The service il under the leader.
ship of an able flying officer.
'dThe outstanding aeronaut1caI
achievement of all time is the round
the.world flight.
''The organization which carried
this epochal flight to success there
by proved it's right to public con-
fidence, and I can see no reason
to be panicky about the condition
of the army air service"
Davis made a number OF speclti~
recommendation for lettering the
service but none of these con-
templates a. radical departure from
the present organization or manner
OF conducting the air force. He
proposed:
Secretary's Proposals.
1. Research and development of
advanced types of aircraft should
be continued. and when funds per-
NIT, expanded.
3. Additional personnel and ma
terial should be made available
when Government finances permit.
2. A larger reserve Of flyers should
be built up when funds permit.
: 4. Any duplication Of army and
navy service should be eliminated.
y 5. An additional brigadier general
should be authorized to head the
supply section of the service, and
to develop industrial preparedness
plans.
purchase, Of airplanes should be
temporarily relaxed. under safe
guards.
Z. A clear delimitation of the mis-
sions of the army and navy in
coast defense should be adopted.
g. A bureau Of civil air naviga-
ton should be established under
the Commerce Department.
willing to Assist
due to the broad considerations
Of public policy affecting the whole
Government, appropriations are H.
sufficient to carry out the approved
War Department program, but that
situation exists in the other SER
vices as WELL" Davis said. Within
the department, the air service APP
preparation in recent years has
been consistently favored, some
times at the expense Of other SER
vices
The department, Davis declared,
- willing to do everything in it's
power to assist the investigation,
but charges against the air service
must be backed up by hard facts. !"
Change for the sake of change
alone is unjustifiable, he said.
There has not been, is not now
and will not be, any 'muzzling' of
army officers in the expression of
their individual opinions" Davis.
added. I'm your constructive pro-
gram, the army will cordially CO.
operate.
Believes Inquiry Essential
al personally have long felt that
such an inquiry is essential, in
order that public opinion may rest
assured that the national defense
is being widely safeguarded and
Is in the hands of officers of
ability, loyalty and vision, and not
OF mere bureaucrats
Honest differences of opinion
naturally arise. They exist within
the department itself
The War Department impugns
the motives of no critics; it has the
right TO demand the same fair
dealing for itself. It seeks TO keep
an open mind on all debatable
questions, to adopt any construc-
tive suggestions which it can ap-
prove, to improve the service wher-
ever its means will permit.
In such a discussion there is no
place for passion, personalities or
preJudices," said Davis.
Every inducement shouold be Of
.fered by the Government. Davis
said, to encourage commercial avia-
-tion.
1.-The creation of an extensive air
transportation system forms an in
tegral part Of any national defense
velopment of self-supporting
reaching advantages Because Of
it's essentially mobile character, IT
is more directly adap table to mill
tary purposes thaR most industries.
1t will provide Il reserve of both
flying and groand personnel for rapid
development, in an emergency Of
the necessary military aviation.
LAS commercial aviation develops
into 4 .self-supporting industry, it
will simplify the problem of de-
Tense"
- Coolidge Order Read
The meeting opened with the read
Ing OF President Coolidge's order
creating the board, followed by a
brief statement by Dwight Morrow
chairman outlining the scope and
purpose of the inquiry.
THE board has felt that the
proper place to begin was with the
responsible officials and officers Of
the War Department, the Navy De
-partment and the Post Office De
partment," said Morrow.
Upon these departments haV.
been devolved by the Congress and
the President the responsibility fol
the existing air service We have
therefore, asked the War Depart
,ment to send here today such
officials as the department prefers
and to make a statement of the
general problem.
It is the purpose of the board
to let this statement be put in, 81
far as possible, without interruption
of course reserving the right late
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