Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-03-03
New Army Measure Will En-
body Project for 1900
Planes in Five Years.
MITCHELL AND PATRICK
PROPOSALS ARE BEATEN
$30,000,000 Yearly Increase in
Cost Will Not Deter Program
Agreed on Today.


been weighted down with remedial
aircraft legislation for the Army Air
Service. was cleaned off today in one
fell swoop when the committee reject
ed the War Department, Patrick and
Mitchell bills and decided to draw uJ'
one of its own Incorporating therein q
fiveyear construction program sub
mitted today by Secretary OF War
Davis. The project drawn up by the
War Secretary calls for 1900 air
planes IN the Army Air Service at the
end of five years; 1850 Regular Army
officers, 500 Reserve officers on active
duty and $4,000 enlisted men, includ-
ing 500 flying cadets.
The War Department bill. designed
TO carry out the recommendations of
the Preside nt's Air Board as they
applied TO the Army Air Service, was
voted down by the committee, IL TO
10. The Patrick measure, for a sep
arate air corps within the Army, was
rejected, Is to 6, and the Department
of National Defense proposal, orig
mated and supported by William
Mitchell, suffered defeat, IL to 10.
Will Use Davis Program.
Chairman NORM of the committee
however, announced that the bill
which the committee would draw up
would be based on recommendation
of the Presidents Air Board and that
the building program submitted today
by Mr.. Davis would be incorporated,
even though it called for $50 0,000. 900
annual increase over the present out
lay. Mr.. NORM also said that the
committee, III rejecting the measure
carrying out the Air Boards pro
posals, had refuse q to accept It only
in its present form.
Members felt, he added, that the
recommendations were advisable, but
that they did not go far enough in
proposing changes that will be neces-
Sary for an adequate air service.
Sentiment in the committee. Mr..
NORM explained, favored maintenance
of the national defense organization
as it is now constituted. Dwight w.
Morrow of New York. who headed the
Presidents Air Board, testified briefly
before the committee prior to a vote
on the bills. He said the final report
of his board represented a compromise
of opinion and did not carry out in full
the ideas of any member. He will re
turn for additional testimony next
Tuesday.
Secretary Davis said the progI am
had been approved by him and was
the one toward which the War De
partment would work during the next
five years ito the extent that appro~
priations are made available"
The report contained no estimate
of the cost of making the program
effective. but the War Secretary said
it had been devised with the Prest-
dents Air Boards conclusions IN
mind.
Disapproves James Plan.
At the same time the Secretary an
nounCed disapproval of a bill intro
duced by Representative James. Re
publican, Michigan, which would in
crease the Army Air Service accord
ing to recommendations of the Las
sitter Board, which provided for 4
more extensive program over 10 years.
while the Lassiter board report
sets forth the War Department
project for the Air Service and is con-
sidered as guide for future studies"
the report sid, the conclusions and
recommendations of the President
Aircraft Board, approved in principle
by the President, are concurred in by
the War Department as more In aC-
cord with existing aviation needs and
the financial possibilities of the i'm
mediate future.
consequently the War Depart
ment has been making u study look
ing to a revision of the Lassiter
board report in accordance with the
recommendations of the Presidents
Aircraft Board
Until the personnel and equipment
contemplated in this revised project
have been provided the War Depart
ment feels that a full realization Of
the Lassiter board program is not
practicable at the present time"
s3O,OOO,OOO Boost Seen.
Secretary Davis said the increased
cost of a full realization of the five
year program as compared with the
present cost would be, as nearly as
could be estimated. approximately
$50 900 COO a year. OF this, approx
mately $7.50O,O00 year would be for
heavier-than-air airplanes.
1.-THE increases in personnel OF the
Air Service" Mr.. Davis said, ARE also
to be increases in the strength of the
Regular Army so that no portion OF
this Air Service expansion is to be at
the expense of other branches"
War Department plans call for air
reinforcementsS in the defense forces
of Hawaii and the Panama Canal
Zone on a scale that would give those
possession full wartime Air Service
mobilization weight to be II. de et-
fective upon completion OF he fve-
year building program.
Under the existing War Department
policy regulating garrison strengths
and equipment for tie Philippine
Islands defenseS realization OF the
five-year air program would leave
existing forces in the islands un-
changed.
Plans Are Confidential.
Air forces in Panama. Hawaii and
the Philippines are carefully concealed
by the War Department in the part
assigned them in the defense plans
drawn up by the War Department.
Because of the confidential nature Of
these war plans, the department de-
clined today to make public the in
creases in the peacetime aviation
projects that would be given to Pana.
ma and Hawaii under the five-year pro-
gram. 1t was admitted, however, that
the increase contemplated for the
Canal Zone and Hawaii would bring
the air strength there from peace
time status to full wartime mobiliza-
tion strength.
War Department policies regarding
~ u -