Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-28


ject. He spoke in full as follows:
Every one will admit that aviation is
becoming more and more vital part
Of the national defense. This Is SO gen.
orally recognized today that 1t Is difficult
to realize how small part of our Army
and Navy were concerned with aviation
when we entered the Great War only IL
years ago this month. At that time we
did not have one effective air squadron
equipped with anything resembling the
latest developments In fighting planes
or bombing planes. Twelve years ago
aviation was small and relatively I'M
important section of the activities of
the Signal Corps. Furthermore when
the program was prepared for the Of
flcers training camps, In 1917, nothing
was included which concerned aviation,
nothing was taught regarding the
means of communication between
ground troops and airplanes nor was
the importance of military aviation
fully appreciated except by two or three
officers like Gen. Squire, who had been
an observer on the western front during
the first two years of the war, had long
been interested in aviation and had the
vision to see the great part which avi-
alton was going to take during the war
and the courage to drive ahead full
steam in a superhuman effort to over
come the failure of the War Depart
ment to provide carefully worked out
plans for the part which aviation was
to play in the great conflict. For this
Gen. Squire deserves great credit and
the thanks of the Nation.
Realize Aviation Importance.
Today there is no one in the War
Department who does not realize fully
the Importance of aviation in the ma
tional defense and the necessity for
keeping abreast of the times. Never
theless, 1t Is true that it is difficult to
secure the necessary appropriations for
carrying out the f1ve-year program
which was adopted by the Congress in
accordance with the recommendations
made by the President Aircraft Board
In the Fall of 1928. It Is truly very
unfortunate that the budget, as sent
by the President to the second session
Of the last Congress, did not recon-
mend appropriations adequate to carry
out that increment of the five-year pro-
gram which should have been provided
for in the appropriation bills for the
next year. The Senate increased the
amount considerably, but the totals
were reduced In conference with the
House and the bill as finally passed was
far from adequate, so far as the five-
year program for military aviation Is
concerned. 1t Is hard to say Just where
the blame lies for this failure Of the
Congress to make adequate provision
for the increment of the five-year pro-
gram. Some people blame the Congress
for not having added enough to the
appropriation bill to take care Of this
particular feature Of the national de-
Tense. To this accusation the members
of the Congress replied that the Presi-
dent did not ask for 1t in his budget
message and that they actually did give
a couple million dollars more to mill
tary aviation than he asked for.
Defends Coolidge Course.
Some people are inclined to blame
President Coolidge and the director of
the Budget, but 1t may be said on their
behalf that what they did was to pro-
vide limiting figure for the Army and
left 1t TO the War Department to de-
eide how this allotment of the public
funds was to be divided among the Diff
ferent arms and branches of the serv-
ice. Finally. some people are inclined
TO blame the War Department for not
approaching fully the need Of keeping
up the five-year program. The general
staff is accused of being unfriendly to
aviation. On their behalf 1t is replied
that the limiting figure set by the Presi-
dent was divided up among the differ
ent arms Of the service what they felt
to be in the wisest possible manner, and
that there was certainly not money
enough to provide fully for the next
increment Of the five-year program for
military aviation. 1t Is claimed on be-
half OF the War Department that to
have taken sufficient number OF mil
lions Of dollars from the allotment for
the War Department for the purpose
Of carrying out the five-year program
for aviation would have meant seriously
Gripping the Infantry and the Cavalry
and the Artillery Furthermore, 1t
would mean closing up a considerable
number Of Army posts in different parts
Of the country whose maintenance is
demanded by the people in that vicinity
and their Representatives In Congress.
Notwithstanding the fact that we have
at least go more garrison posts than
Is necessary for the national defense
and than is wise for the best training
OF our troops, any attempt to close any
one OF these posts meets such deter
mined opposition in the Congress and
arouses such Juror as to make it virtu-
ally impossible.
Three Divisions Urged.
Most students of military affairs will
agree that II that part of our small
standing Army needed for duty In the
United States was divided into three
parts and trained as three divisions,
one on the Atlantic Coast, one on the
Pacific Coast and one In Texas, we
| would have much more efficiently
trained Army than is the case at pres
ent. where nearly every State in the
Union insists upon having one or more
so-called forts or garrison posts Most
+ people do not realize that there are
regiments In the United States which
, practically never assemble as regiment
because the political necessities require
I that various companies, squadrons or
batteries be assigned to duty In several
| States OF the Union and any effort to
. correct this uneconomical and un-
scientific method of providing for the
national defense would meet with de-
: termined opposition from the COM
: munities who enjoy having an Army
, post in their immediate vicinity.
Consequently 1t must be clear IL
| every one that in order to please certain
taxpayers of the United States 1t seems
1 TO be necessary for the Army to
economic In the number of new air.
planes which 1t purchases and in the
provision which it makes for militery
: airdromes. hangers and machine shops
since otherwise 1t might have to
economic by reducing the number of
! active Army posts and sending away
the soldiers whom the citizens like TO
see stationed thereon.
Placing of Blame Difficult
| The effort to find out who is really
' responsible for the failure of adequate