Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-28


warfare of the future is gen.
orally conceded. The opinion
i of Marshal Foch, the greatest
military genius of the World
War, may be taken as eXemplifyinS
the general consensus OF opinion
among military experts.
THE military mind" Marshal Foch
recently remarked, always imagin"s
that the next war will lie upon the
same lines as the last. That has never
been the case and never will be. one
of the great factors in the next war
will obviously be aircraft.
1.-THE potentialties of aircraft attack
upon a large scale are almost incat-
culable. But it is clear that lch at
tack, owing to it's crushing moral ef-
feet upon a nation, NAV impress pub
lie opinion to the point of disarmlng
the government, and thus become de-
cisive."
The national stirring of Congress to
some sort OF action is hopeful, and yet
it is entirely inadequate. 1t is merely
the beginning of what should be a
most energetic development of our ma
tional aircraft policy.
Even though these authorized APP
preparations be made and the service
increased as indicated, we will yet lie
for an adequate defense. Gen. Patrick
says that even then there will be a
deficit of nearly a thousand alrplanes
needed for Army peace establish
ment.
According to Gen. Patrick the total
number of planes on hand, when the
new five-year air programs were
adopted. vas: Primary training planes,
$50: advance training, rs; observation,
534: bombardment, 1902; pursuit, liz;
attack, Is: total, 1,256-with the train
ing and observation planes far in eX-
cess of fighting craft. The deficit was
then as follows: Training, Ill; obser-
walton, 172: bombardment, SO; pursuit.
POS: attack. 92. In other words, where
as this meager estimate calls for "
attack planes, we have only 10. ana
are shy So pursuit planes. And THIS
deficit, it must be remembered, Is hg-
ured merely on the basis of the most
meager peace-time necessity.
Britain's Big Appropriation.
Great Britain appropriated over a
hundred million dollars last year for
her air service. This compared to the
total expenditure of $75,000,OOO dis
tributed over five years in our pro-
gram. France, which has led the
world in aircraft since the war. has a
total of approximately 5000 planes Ill
actual use or ready for use, compared
to our 1900, most of which are oDso-
lete training planes. Japan has ap-
propriated S25,000,000. and her appro-
priationc for military aircraft while
kept closely secret, are undoupteuiy
very large. 1t is probable that Japan
today is second only to France IN mill
tary and naval aircraft.
At the beginning of the war the
United States expended $62o,o0o,oOo
for aircraft, about so to 80 per cent OF
which was entirely wasted, largely DC
cause of our utter unprenaredneSs:
We had no aircraft factories, we had
no specific plans, we experimental
wildly and desperately, and fell down
terrifically as a result. A hundred MIL
lion appropriated today would bring
four times the result.
Result of Agreement.
The five-pact naval armament agree
ment, which was hailed by our super
optimists as the end of great military
expenditures, has resulted in only one
good, and that is in the checking OF
expenditures for semi-obsolete craft.
The most effective fighting machines,
the submarine and airplane, were not
included in that agreement. Nations
may go on, and are going on, as
before building the destructive sub
marines and the deadly, Wide-sweep-
ing airplane. The matter Is put up
to us thus: Our wide-fiung commerce
upon which depends the prosperity OF
our farms and ranches, our factories
and mines, are at the mercy of any
enemy submarines; our Panama
Canal, our coast cities, our Navy, on
which we have been so proud, are at
the mercy of enemy aircraft.
The only reasonable assurance that
we have that these will not be at
tackled and destroyed rests solely in
the world knowing that we are rea-
sonably prepared to defend them. Our
only safety is in equality of defense.
We cannot remain third, or fourth,
or seventh, in the air and be safe.
We must have reasonable equipment
of fast cruisers, submarines and night
ing planes; not an ability to build
them in two or three years, but an
actual possession of them, equipped
and in readiness for use within sud-
den call.
The American public is on the right
track when it inquiries into the mean
ing of the terms Department of Pub
lie Defense''-"Unificat of Air
rces"-"Separate Air Force" 1t
has q right to know who favors these
comprehensive plans of national de-
Tense, and what forces have aligned
Some % years have passed since the
birth of the airp1ane, and in that