Evening star., 1925-12-16
Traffic Signals Effective.

placed in use. At an average cost Of
- 900 each. as they are warhuilt
planes Az the War Department has
developed new types of what II he
lleNes AT least for the present to he
standard types OF pursuit lombard
ment and observation machines. It
has not been considered hest under
I present conditions to take action 10
reconstruct these $40 planes which
would need to he reconditioned
0utsta nding Contracts
In addition to the machines emu
merated in the preceding paraEra ph.
We have contracts outSta nding for 40
pursuit SO training and 109 ohserva
tion planes. or a total Of 209 and in
the appropriation for the fiscal year
1926. available the lst Of July next.
a suffiCie mt amount of money has been
appropriated to enable us to place
contracts for 15S training so hom-
bardment. 80 pursuit and 10 alta OK
pa mes, or a total of 26S ma achines
When these contracts are completed
we will not only have the | 592 pla mes
now on hand. which number. Of course
Will he reduced by planes worn ont BY
year and p hah's additional service
crashes. etc. hut we will also have
the number now under contract and
those purchased out of the 1926 ap.
propria tions. or a total Of AZ addi-
tional machines. OF the planes now
on hand. Cen. Patrick has made the
following statement:
II is fact that pursuit and bonn.
ha ardment planes now in use by the
Air Service We're approximately eqrraI
10 similar types employed by any other
nation In the world. The De Havila nd
,l1,, ,hen 1T
We're possibly surpa ssed. but TO No
great degree. by those used for similar
purposes by other nations
"All this was well known to Gen
Mitchell when he apparently endeav'
ored to startle the country nv testify
ing that we had but "a pla nes At for
war service. at the same time making
no reasonable explanation OF the mum
her on hand, and their condition.
lassiter Board Report.
1T was further well known to
Cen Mitchell ssista Mt chief Of the
Air Service, that the War Depa rtment
has we'll determined and worked
ont policy with reference to the Air
Service. ased on the report Of what
is known as the I.assiter Board, a
boa ri made up OF some of the lead
ing Ulcers Of the service. one of the
nuni er being an air officer The
report Of the board. upon the recon-
mendation of Gen Pershing as chief
Of stan. and Gen. Hines as deputy
| chief of staff, was approved BY me
in 1923.
The board recommended for the
! peace esta blishment OF the Army,
| $3.50 machines, 1000 officers, includ-
! ing reserve officers. and $4,000 en-.
listed men. to constitute the Army Ali
/ Service. 1t recommended an appro-
! pria ton OF 5000. 900 a wear 70,
| ~ years, which. in addition to the
! pay OF officers and men recommended
| In the report and other expenses
| would make the annual appropria tion
| for the Air Service of the Army about
| $50 900 COO. That is the goal of the
| War Department. We have not
reached the goal because Of the lack
of sufficient appropriations to do so
On the whole, however. it has seemed
to me that we have proceeded along a
! sound policy, not expending more
money for planes while the War De
partment was busily engaged In de
! termining new and sta ndard types
| of machines.
"If we had spent large amounts OF
! money in 1922. 1923 and 1924. ii would
| have been in the construction of
HiHchiheS Nni'h Woulu not come up tc
! the standard of the machines which
! have now heen evolved. AS We have
determined definiate types, we shoult
! now, however. go on with larger
construction policy.
| All this was well known to Gen
Mitchell, and, indeed, IL there has beer
any failure to eXpend the appropria
tions for the Air Service in the mos
economical and efficient manner, tn,
responsibility for such failure rest,
almost entirely on Gen. Patrick a.
chief and Gen. Mitchell as assistant
chief OF the Air Service. as in the ex
pend1ture or money appropriated 70,
that service the recOmmenda ions n
the chief Of Air Service have been an
proved.
! II think ! ought to add that in m,
judgment the organization of the All