The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-09-28
Why Our Air Service Is
Inefficient

Aviation has never had square deal under Stars and
Stripes As result the United States although the birth
place of the apan lacks the protection today that only an
intensely modern Air Force provide.
President Coolidge took long step toward the organiza
ton of such Air Force when he appointed the Air Board
that is in session Not of its nine members is Of
fetal of the War Navy Departments Therefore the Board
be upon squarey with aviation which the
anacra bureaucracy in control of the War and Navy De
partments has never done.
From this Board President Coolidge good to
report that will enable him recommend to Congress
and of getting rid of the nefficiency that acts
the existing organization of Air Services
Any Air officer of the United States Army, given the
daring that goes with disregard Of SELF and doubtless will
tell the Coolidge Board that the only to free the Air
Service blight of inefficient organization is to
cpae the Air Service from the control and general direction
Notifying officers either little understand
ing of the proper of aircraft in peace
When the Great War the military mind could con-
ceve of only function for aircraft and that was TO provide
elevated platform from which the movement OF lana ana
forces could the better be observed Then it was
that the function of Air Service in time Of war was TO
the eyes of the Army and Navy.
But occurred to some aggressive aviator 70 carry
along aid him In preventing the enemy AVIATOR
from accomplishing his mission Next rifle was r1eo ana
then pistol but still without success 50 wengh Impossible
hit these fast moving targets OF the air.
Nevertheless the aviator who carried the first shotgun
with him his flight started the for the supremacy OF
which led the development during the Great War;
First: Purs Aviation; Second: Bombardment Aviation;
and Third: Attack Aviation .
The pursuit airpane is only "a flying machine gun =
small combat plane making upwards of ITO miles an
hour
Then came the bombing plane carrying high explosive
bombs weighing upwards of ton which can blow up the
largest and sink the largest armed batteshps Bonn
barent aviation has extended the coast lines OF the United
States hundreds of miles and ships on the water and
troops the ground at the Of the aerial bomb
Finally Attack aviationa combination Of the fast
pursuit plane huge bombardment plane carrying ma
chine guns small bombs be used chiefly IN rafing
the personnel of land and sea forces
spite of this development Of three types OF aviation
which the War brought the anarcraf bureaucracy
at Washington still thinking in Of the original func
ton of aircraft seldom if at ALL thinking in terms OF
pursuit aviation b0mbardment aviation attack aviation
nations with longer and bitter experience IN
than to the United States have long ago
adopted weldened policy of air defense Other nations
organized their air forces for the purpose OF fighting
1.-The battle the air just Army organized to fight
1.-THE battle the ground and Navy organized to fight
1.-The battle the sea.
hopeless expect any such organization OF our
Air Forces until general control is purged of inefcency
That pgng only by emancpang all OF the opera
of Air peace and both in the Army and
Navy the control of Notifying officers who either
will that Air Force is neither another
the Army and Navy in new fad for the
American people in peace, but OF National De-
tense and a of transportation
And this emancipation essential to any reorganization
of our Air efficiency to take the place OF inef
ficiency in their organization. =