Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-03

ing the item more than 100000
short of what the War Depart
a1ent had reported as its minimum
requirements. Did the House bow
gracefully to the Senate? 1t did
not. The conferees fell to with
right good will and when the
smoke of battle had abated some
what the Air Corps found itself
SIS 100000 short of the amount
necessary to carry on in accord
ance with the terms Of the Ave-
year program.
The results of last years econ
omy wave have been apparent
only too readily. When the Air
Corps gathered all its forces in
Ohio last May for annual ma
neuvers it was revealed that only
200 fighting planes were available
for military duty and that many
of them were obSoleScent as COM
pared with the military planes Of
other nations.
Reserves Crippled.
The corps of Reserve pilots, upon
which the Nation must depend for
the nucleus of its fighting airmen
in case of emergency, has suffered.
The list of firSt-line Reserve pilots
was cut down to 631 officers and
even this lesSened force was I'M
able to acquire the training neces-
sary to keep its personnel in first
class condition.
Lighter than-air training in the
Army virtually has gone by the
board. No funds have been pro-
vided for purchase of new equip
nent for some years. The five
year building program. which is
the solemn mandate of Congress
for every one except the Budget
Bureau and the House of Repre-
sentativeS, orders the Army to
carry on balloon and dirigible
training so that there may be OBJ
balloon and dirigiblc
people in case they are needed for
the national defense.
Fair enough. The Air Corps is
willing to comply. The
appropriation bills, however, pro-
vide no funds for dirigibleS. Those
the Army had long since have
been worn out and there have not
been funds sufficient even to keep
them in repair.
The Air Corps, accordingly,
1nds itself in an embarrassing
oredicament. ordered by statute
10 carry on dirigible training, it
indS itself with no dirigibles to
larry on that training because
Congress has withheld it's facili-
lies for complying with the law.
In case of emergency some one
undoubtedly will suffer and 1t
will be the Air Corps.
Noted Pilots Resign.
Both Army and Navy air Serv-
ces have suffered keenly from the
oss of capable pilots and aviation
There is considerable
dissatisfaction in both services be-
;ause of the attitude taken by the
3udget Bureau and Congress. The
Army Air Corps has fought long
Ind unsuccessfully for passage of
bill to reorganize the promotion
system and prevent injuStices to
officers,
Army and Navy pilots whose
names are known wherever air.,
planes fly have been lost TO the
Government because they can find
better berths for themselves in
civilian life.
Within the past week the Navy
has announced the designations of
,hree of its noted pilots, all to be-
come effective in December. They
are Lieuts. Zeus Soucek, A. w.
Gorton and Arthur Gavin. Gorton
will leave December 6, Gavin De-
cember IL and Soucek December
26, all to 60 into aviation pursuits
with private corporations.
Choose Civil Positions.
Soucek will take a position with
the Eclipse Aviation Corporation
Of East Orange, N. j.; Gorton is to
80 with the Curtis Publishing Co.
Of Philadelphia as director of
aviation advertising and Gavin
will establish a flying school at
Philadelphia.
OOuCek nOlQS Two Seaplane
world records and Gavin one,
made jointly with Soucek. Gorton
is one Of the best flying boat pilots
n the service and is internation-
ally known as a racing pilot, hav-
ing won the Curtiss Marine Trophy
race in 1922 and flown in the
Trophy races at Cowes,
in 1928. Gavin was win
ner of the Schiff Memorial Trophy
in 1927, awarded to aviators in
the Navy who fly the greatest
number of hours each year with
out accident.
Not only are all three men
splendid pilots, but they also are
aeronautical technicians of a high
order. All are on duty now in the
Naval Aircraft Factory at Phila-
delphia, where the bulk of the
aeronautical research and de-
velopment work of the Navy Blu,
reau of Aeronautics is performed.
1t will be long before the Navy
develops another such trio.