Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-05
BY JOHN LEO. COONTZ.

BY JOHN LEO. COONTZ.
Washington safe? Is the National Capital,
the seat of the. Government, the city
where Congress meets In peacetme and
wartime and where all our precious ma
tional archives are, secure from deStruc-
ton by an enemy country under modern
warfare attack?
Recently there gathered over the Capital the
greatest air armada ever assembled since avia-
ton became a part Of the United States ma
tional defense. Six hundred and seventy-two
Army airplaneS zoomed and roared and dived
over Washington. An aweSome spectacle was
presented to the populace of the city by these
more than half thousand war planes racing
and tearing through the blue in every known
combat formation and war maneuver.
There were pursuit squadrons from Selfridge
Field, Mich, and Rockwell Field, Calf; OBJ
servation squadronS from Mitchell Field, N. Y,
and National Guard centers throughout the
country; bombardment squadrons from Langley
Field Va, and the Far West; attack squadrons
from Texas; planes from Ohio, Illinois, Boiling
Field and half hundred other places on the
continent. Their presence over the Capital
was the finale of the Spring grand maneuvers
of the Army Air Corps in practice defense
Of the Eastern Coast, made to gather infor-
nation on defense by the corps.
QUT did the maneuvers spell safety for the
coast. for Washington? Is it possible in
modern warfare to save the Capital from
q raiding enemy? II war should come to
American shores. would not there be repeti-
ton of the Sacking Of Washington which
occurred in 1914?
The writer, interested to know the views
of modern warriors on the subject, interviewed
the two heads of the United States national
military aviation establishments, admittedly
the two branches of service uppermost today
SVn ala f0N
Admiral William A. Moffett, chief of the Bu-
reau of Aeronautics of the Navy. and Mai.
Gen. James E. Fechet, chief Of the Army Air
Corps, under whose administration the corps
has so brilliantly performed.
Says Rear Admiral Nofett:
81 don't believe amy place is safe from air
craft attack If it Is within reach Of large
numbers of aircraft based on land or large
numbers Of aircraft based on aircraft carriers
or other surface vessels. When there are q
sufficient number of attacking planes, you can
no more stop them from coming through than
you can stop mosquitoes or flies. The only way
to make any place relatively safe from air
attack is to have sufficient number Of planes
based on aircraft carriers or other vessels as
well on shore, not only to intercept as
far as possible the attacking planes. but also
to destroy the sources from which they come,
either land bases ship bases
War is game different today from anything
In the history Of the world declares Mai Gen.
Fechet Even considering the World War,
there is no comparison. Planes were there then
"strafing" each other on the battlefronts OF
France. But compare their efficiency with
those of today for combat purposes and you
will readily that war Is q completely differ
ent game today than it was in 1914. Compare
the speed limit of 80 miles per hGur in 1914
with $50 to 800 miles per hour in 1881. Com
pare battles in the air in 1918 at 5000 feet
with ceilings at 10000 feet for combat planes
In 1881 Compare loads of 300 and 1000
pounds for planes in 1917 and 1918 with
bombers of today carrying 1000 pounds of
TINT bombs in 2OO-pound units or 1000
pound units.
CVEN the last two years have seen the eff
l. cheney of airplanes stepped up as fighting
craft. Where two 3O-caliber machine guns
with a range of $500 yards first-claSs
equipment in 1929, today it is 5O-caliber guns
with range of 5000 yards. Two years ago
the high speed of pursuit planes was around
165 miles per hour, with cruising range
of 1875 miles.
Today they have top speed of 1872 miles
per hour with cruising range of $50. Two
years ago bombers carrying crews of five men
had flying speed of los miles per~h with
a 2,00O-pound load. Today they carry crews
of six and speed at 100 miles per hour with
load of 1000 pounds. Further, they are
equipped with four machine guns and can
cruise for TOO miles. With ton load these
bombers can rise to $4,000 feet in a half hours
time, as compared with 10000 feet in an hours
time two years ago. And so down the line
But if these statements astound, what of
this by Rear Admiral Moffett: IF few
submarines, with 400-pound torpedoes and
range of a few hundred yards operating at
a speed of IL knots below the water, nearly
won the last war, what will hundreds, nay
thousands, of airplanes carrying 2,000-pound
bombs or torpedoes at speeds Of more than
100 miles per hour, operating in the air. do?
"The gun projects shell 20 miles; the