Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-17

essary adjuncts for the navigation oil
the air. and for the safety and COM
fort of the pilot
Made Substitute Fabric.
Some idea OF the magnitude OF the
task involved IN the procurement OF the
principal raw material used in the con-
struction of the plane proper. spruce,
NAV be obtained from the figures on
production and personnel. June 80,
1918 the spruce production personnel
consisted of 1905 officers. enlisted men
and civilians Railroads were construct
ed into the forests of the West Coast
and a cut-up plant having a MAXIMUM
capacity OF 5000 600 board-feet of lum-
Der a month was erected at vancouver
Barracks. near Portland. Greg. To No
vember IL, 1918, approximately 17400O.-
900 board feet OF spruce and nr had
been shipped, Of which more than two
thirds went TO our allies.
At il was impossible to produce the
millions of yards OF linen fabric re-
quired for wing and body covering, q
! suitable cotton substitute was developed
and manufactured in this country in
quantities sufficient TO meet the needs
OF both America and the allies, and at
a cost slightly more than half OF that
of he linen fabric formerly used. This
accomplishment. heretofore thought
impossible, ranks among the achieve
ments of the first importance.
The dope" used on the fabric Of
planes presented many difficulties not
only TO us but 10 our allies. This and
! other chemicals required soon were
/ being produced in this country in guam
! titles sufficient for our allies require
ments as well as our own.
To meet the extensive demands for
! a high-grade lubricating oil, castor bean
! seeds were imported from. India and
/ about 100000 acres planted in this
: country Meanwhile, research work
with mineral oils was carried on IN
tensively. with the result that lubricant
! was developed which proved satisfactory
/ in practically every type OF sirplane
/ engine, except the rotary engine, in
! which castor oil was preferred.
The personnel side of the Air Service,
, including the selection, training. or
ganization and operation OF the flying
forces developed within the fiscal year
l9l7-l8 into AN educational system on
a scale Infinitely larger and more d.
verse than any one had expected,
Victory Greed" Of Aviation.
Teaching men to fly. TO send messages
bv wireless, TO operate machine guns in
the air, 10 know artillery fire by It's
bursts, and to travel hundreds OF miles
by compass: teaching other men 10 read
, the enemys strategy from aerial photo
graphs, and still others TO repair instru-
ments, ignition systems, propellerS, air
plane wings and motors. required net
work of flying fields and schools. large
Institutional force and maze OF equip
( III mt and curricula.
The job was accomplished by strict
adherence 10 the Victory Greed" Of our
service, which bears repeating in time
of peace as well as in time OF wsr. Here
1t Is:
TO foster individual talent, infagina-
ton and initiative, 10 couple with this
high degree OF cooperation. and TO
subject these to q not too minute direc-
| ton: the whole vitalized by supreme
purpose which serves as q magic key TO
unlock the upper strata OF the energies
of men"
J Tomorrow: How the American Air
Service was developed.I
tcopyrisht, 1881. by North American News
paper Alliance