Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-31

- minds in America have been working
on the problem how best to develop the
air arm OF the military and naval serv-
Ice.
In the coming conference on Limitation Of
ornaments. initiated by the League of Ma
tons. and to which an invitation has been ac-
copied by the United states-so far as the pre-:
lintnary conference Is concerned-effortS will
be made to limit. If not to cut down, the air
services of this country and Others.
To the layman the question might well arise
why be excited over building up If the next
moment we are to cut down. or limit?
The answer to this question is that no coun-
try, including the United States should be so in
sensible to the need of national defense to
neglect this comparatively new weapon, a
weapon of tremendous potential power. Fur
thermore, there is no assurance air strength
is to be limited at the conference.
Tho proposed Limitation Of air armament pre-
sents perhaps, the toughest In the whole
bagful which the coming conference will be
called upon to crack. The reason for this is
found in the fact that 1t is almost impossible
to limit air ornaments without at the same
time tying halter commercial aviation.
There is strong opposition to hindering the de,
velopment of this newest form Of communication
and transportation. Commercial aircraft, 1t Is
purposes. and it is idle to expect a country
which has we'll developed commercial air services
not to make OF them in time of Just
as idle as to expect that a country would not
arm its merchant vessels for use as cruisers
and transports II the war emergency arose.
Commercial planes may be converted FOR
bombing and observation purposes for with
the Army, though they have not the speed for
use pursuit planes. The Navy requires
more specialized type for It's operations, and
conversion would be difficult, II possible at all.
The United States, II 1t assents at all to the
Limitation of the air armament of this country
doubtless will ask strength which It considers
adequate for the defense of its long coast line
and for the protection of It's great overseas
commerce. II is unthnka BILE that this country
would agree to a limitation in this arm, which
is still TO u considerable extent experimental
based on its existing air strength.
q
United States this country's representatives
doubtless will stress the fact that It has Its
Atlantic and Pacific coast lines to defend not
northern boundary and along the southwestern
boundary. The defense of Americas commerce
and outlying possessions lies to II large extent
with the Navy. The Navy must not be handi-
capped by too small air service for this pur
pose. Air equipment is recognized today az
essential
Cnder the present development OF aircraft
the air forces maintained In continental United
States only be regarded as defensive by
urged therefore. at the coming conference
that the size Of Americas air force ashore has
only an academic interest to those nations
The aircraft that may be carried overseas, It Is
expected will be the point of attack when II
comes time for the foreign nations to seek to
FIX limit for the United States.
At the Washington Conference on Limitation
of Armaments in 1922, the only limitation
set upon air strength accomplished from
that angle. The naval treaty powers We're limit
ed to the amount of tonnage they might have
for aircraft carriers. vessels designed particu-
larly for transporting airpanes in considerable
numbers for away from the home coast.
BY the naval limitation treaty then entered
into the following tonnage was allowed: United
States, 135, 900 tons; British Empire, 1875. 900
tons: Japan, 81 900 tons; France, SO 900 tons,
and Italy, $4,000 tons. This limitation, however