The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-03-01
WAR SECRETARY IS AROUSED BY
 ATTACK ON ARMY
Denounced Proposals to Get Independent Corps
 For Nation
By HOBART q. MONTEE United Press Stan COrrespoiiden

NotiVtsA HVt0 GtMM SREEG0AFtSkktAE1htB Washington. March 1-(UP)- Americas national aviation devel- opment was thrown into new cofi- Secretary of War George il. Dern roundiy denouncing pfoposals to create an independent aerial corps, outside the confines of either army or navy.
 Dern's statement was made as aviation and tho army already were subject to no less than four independent disputes and inquiries. These were:
 The pending congressional in- vestigation of army procurement methods, with special reference to avasions of the law in bids for air- craft manufacture.
 Senate airmail committee inves- tigation of contract air mail flying, Criticism Of army aviation abil- ity in connection with It's handling of the air mail service.
 District of Columbia grand jury investigation of army contractors relations with the war department
 Dern's statement was made in q communication to Rep J. J. Me- Swain, democrat, South Carolina, chairman of the house military af- fairse committee whose request for authority and funds to investigate the army procurement situation was expected to beacted on to-day.
 Dern informed McSwain that the unified air corps plan under con- sideration by the house committee would be so disruptive of tho army's military effectiveness that he would prefer to have no in- crease in the strength of the army air corps than see the plan adopted.
 He said that if army general staff. control were decreased "ft could only result in exposing the government to the possibilities of manipulation and control by those groups which are now being in- vestigated by congress.
 He said the war department ex- pressed its view on reorganization of the army air corps in asking for 1000 additional airplanes.
 Now, Dern said, two completely different proposals had been intro- ducde. One for creation of a sep- arate air force, the other for con- struction of an air force of 5000 planes. "The first bills," he said, would provide an air force so far beyond any sane estimate of our defensive needs, and so costly, that It's passage could be construed by the world only as evidence either of ardent militarism, or im- mediate war.
 "The other while as unsound as the former, has the additional de- feet of being built through q proc- ess of tearing down other vital el- ements of the balanced framework of defense"
 Due to an unremitting, though distorted publicity" he added, "many Americans are predisposed to the belief that the airplane will dominate future war, and that tho possession of a.powerful air forco, alone, will make our country safe such g belief is romantic.
 "The military airplane is a val uable weapon, but 1t has now, and will have as far into the future as can be foreseen, too many limita- tions to enable 1t to be decisive, alone.
 Tt can act only when in the air. It is dificient In power of sustained fire. It completely lacks ability tV close with an opponent. It's ven- lures are at the mercy of weather. The purchase of a great quantity of airplanes. and the creation of a special corps singled out for extra. ordinary treatment and favors, wilt never protect the American people from a determined foe."