Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-23
Rearmament Program of
I Army General Staff Given
to Secretary Good.
.$13, 900, ,eCG Is ASKED
TO START 5-YEAR PLAN
New Weapons, Tested Thoroughly,
Would Reduce Attacking Aircraft
Effectiveness by Accuracy.

Fertilization in every important
American city against possible air a.
tack In war time has reen recommended
to James w. Good, Secretary Of War,
in rearmament program of the gen.
eral staff Of the Army.
Thirteen million dollars has been
asked to start the project, which would
take five years for completion. If ap-
proved by President Hoover and Sec
retary Good, an estimate of ap-
proximately that amount viii be in
cluded in the budget to be laid before
the December session of Congress.
The recommendation follows 10 years
experimentation with anti-aircraft guns
to overcome glaring weaknesses in ma
tional defense due to the development
Of the airplane. Recent tests have en-
Enthusiastically satisfied Army experts Of
the practicability of certain new
weapons SO accurate as to have reduced
an attacking airplane's chances to a
nth of what they were in the World
War.
Three-inch Gun Is Backbone.
A highly developed S-inch gun, capable
Of bringing down bombers at great alti-
tudes. is the backbone of the anti-air-
craft defense equipment. It is sup
ported by various other new guns. in
cluding a combination of four machine
guns on single mount capable Of
pouring q stream of lead into an air
plane with scarcely more effort than Is
required to turn q hose of water on an
object.
other instrumentalities developed to 9
high point of efficiency are mechanical
eyes and ears to hear and see attack
ing enemy planes miles and more
away. So far as known to Army en-
gineers no other country has approached
the United States in the perfection OF
several of these anti-aircraft weapons
They have been developed In Army ar
senals with usual secrecy as to the vita
mechanism, but, with few exceptions
have been openly tested to the salts
faction Of military authorities.
Next War TO BE in Air.
The plan to protect ali the important
cities, including those in the interior, Is
predicated on the theory that the next
great war, II any, will be fought largely
in the air A nation would be exposed
to attack in any vital point, it is pointed
out, unless prepared to fight on air.
planes. The lessons of the World War
In which the airplane became a seriou:
factor although comparatively unknown
as fighting unit when the war began
has tested the ingenuity of all nations t.
keep pace with airplane development.
The present project Is, IN a degree
an outgrowth of recommendations o.
the caliber board convened by the Wa
Department soon after the armiStict
to lay down a program for postwar
artillery development. This board rec
commended, in effect, that all new fielt
artillery weapons be designed with &
view to possible anti-aircraft use.
1t is primarily to guard vital indus
otherwise strategic points in the coun'
try from overhead attack that theil
equipment with the new weapons II
contemplated, according to Army OH
cials. The project is considered thu
more important, it Is said, with tht
rapid development of airports In prac'
tically all large centers of population
which airports would have militar!
value In wartime that would have Il
be protected.
Coast Cities Would Be Guarded.
Coast cities, also, will be equipped
with the anti-aircraft guns, If the plar
goes through.
A study of the anti-aircraft needs OF
the country preceded the recommenda-
ton of the general staff. Corps COM
manders were required to make sur
veys in their. military districts, ant
their recommendations were considered
in relation to the problem as whole
Army officials directly concerned