The Washington times., 1926-03-25


defense. The usual stalemate
dition which has characterized
In spite of the excellent bills that
have been presented to Congress
and heard before the Military AT
fairs Committee, the constant i'm
portuning which the Army and
Navy Hobbies and their propaganda
agencies have caused to be made
to the President, the Congress and
the press, has had its effect.
The Army and Navy have been
forced oy popular opinion to take
some action about aviation. how
ever, and in order to delude the
public as usual, they have asked
for more money. more power and
more authority to do exactly what
they have done in the past--that
is, to get a greater hold and in.
fluence over aviation, instead OF
creating a department OF aeronau-
tics separate from the Army and
Navy. To allow the Army and
Navy to keep on handling aviation
means q continued miserable fall
ure and an increased waste Of the
public funds.
Leadership Lacking
When the bills for the improve
ment of our national defense were
first taken up, the majority of the
members OF the House Military Az
fairs Committee were favorable to
the creation OF d Department Of
National Defense that is. to have
one department OF the Government
and one man in the Cabinet made
responsible for all national defense,
with subsecretaries for the Army,
Navy and Air Forces. This excel.
lent measure was defeated in the
committee. because just before the
vote was taken the Army and
Navy lobbyists got hold Of one
member OF the COMMITTEES and made
him change his vote. So that when
the vote was taken the measure
was lost by only one vote. and Tor
another year our national defense
win be retarded In it's develop
ment.
ii is difficult to see how any
right thinking people can pursue
such a course, after they have been
shown conclusively for many years
that the Army and Navy have al
WAYS rnishandled aviation, wasted
the money entrusted to them for
It's development, unnecessarily killed
the pilots and insisted on keeping
Notifying officers in control. Still
the Congress, at the behest Of these
bureaucracies, aided by party poll
tics, keeps maintaining system
that Is known to be obsolete and
worthless and which has been dis
carded long ago by all civilized
countries.
What we need to bring about the
revitaIizing OF our national defense
is leadership no half-hearted
leadership, in the face OF the Or
ganized bureaucratic opposition, can
succeed in doing it
National Defense Secretary
This is what should be done laws
should be made, and ii is not too
late, even now, to enact them. to
provide for secretary of national
defense. He should be charged.
with drawing up all rules and regu-
lations for co-ordinating the acttvi-
ties of the Army, the Navy and
the Air Force.
The duty, or mission, OF the Air
Force should be prescribed by law
to be the defense and control OF all
air areas over the United States.
and off the coast as far as air
craft can operate from land bases.
This may be taken at present def.
fnitely as 200 miles. The Air Force
should also be charged with the
handling OF all the defense against
hostile aircraft, including the anti
aircraft artillery.
The Navy should be charged with
the defense of all sea areas from
the water, at distances over and be.
yond 200 miles away from the coast
line. 1t should be prescribed by
law that Navy get out to sea and
discontinue extending and develop
ing any more expensive and useless
shore bases and stations.
The Army should be charged by
law with the defense of all land
areas from the land itself At pres
emit, it should be noted, the duties
of the Army and Navy are not de.
fined by law, and there Is no provi.
sion made for the use of an air force
at ALL
Department of Munitions.
In addition to the Army, Navy
and Air Force, Department of Mu-
nitions should be formed, which would
supply materials that are common TO
ali three services, and which would
allocate and select factories that are
to be used for making supplies for
the Army. Navy and Air Force in
case of war. This department of
munitions should be handled by bus
mess men who know something
about these matters.
II plan such as this were
adopted. and put into effect at once.
the Army and Navy could continue
TO operate under the same laws and
same schemes that they have at
present. There would be no inter
ruption in their duties. An air force
would have to be created, which
could be built up from the nucleus
which the Army now has. The fol-
lowing plan of development should
be followed.
A force OF about 2,400 airplanes is
necessary in case of war with a
first class power. OF this number,
about 600 should be kept on duty
with the active squadrons in time of
peace, and the rest should be pro-
vided for to be issued in sufficient
time for expansion from 500 TO 2,400,
or four times the peace-time or
ganization. to meet any emergency.
Air Force Big War Punch
For the air headquarters and staff
the 40 officers on duty now in the
office of the chief of Air Service in
Washington are ample for running
the whole air force. The policy