Evening star., 1934-02-11
Army Staff Says Air Force
Suppla,,ts' Gordon Defense
Need for Mobile Units Cited by Gen.
MacArthur-M0reP Planes Neces-
sary, House Group Is Told.

COulQ StdQQ Cne COSC OF q COrQOn de-
fense applied to such borders as has
the United States. The system of
Gordon defense is a discarded theory.
Rather you should have rapidly
concentrating force which can be
ahead of the enemy at any place
where he is going to strike; and you
hold such force in an interior posi-
ton to throw to any exterior point"
The sole use for the present coast
defense system, the chief of staff said,
will be for the protection of Navy
bases, so that the Navy will have
| refuge.
Army Helps Navy.
"The Navy" he said, is not a COM
pletely independent unit. It must
have the Army to support its bases
and to protect 1t when 1t comes into
port.
THE main defense is not the fixed
Notifications that We put there, but
1t is the mobile Navy and the mobile
troops that we would throw there
Immediately If the enemy started 10
attack at tnat polnt-the same mobile
forces that We would throw to an
other threatened point. Such is the
very essence OF the G. H. @. AR
Folce. 1t can be thrown to any point
on the coast for It's protection
No need exists. in the opinion of
the general staff for any merger of
Army and Navy aviation.
There is no real conhlct," he as
serted, although the press and a
section
many professional men on both sides
nebulous question OF coast defense
II presents no real basis OF discussion
and disagreement at all.
The air forces that properly be-
long to the Navy are the air forces
that 90 with the feet. And the air
forces that are to be used and
launched as attack units from the
land belong to the Army.
1T has been one of the most un-
fortunate circumstances of air de-
velopment that the various groups
have not had the conception I have
just outlined; because It has resulted
in friction and in contention, and
the growth of an idea in civilian
circles that neither the Army nor the
Navy knew exactly what they we're
driving at
Force Scattered.
During peace times, Gen MacAr-
thur told the committee, the great
G. H. @. Air Force probably will not
be concentrated at one point except
for training as unit. The subdivi-
sions would be scattered throughout
the country.
No attempt has been made by the
general staff to fix any total number
of airplanes under the new five-year
program or for the G. H Q. Air
Force, because of belief there should
be fexibility in the matter
I do not believe" Macarthur ex-
planned, that you should attempt to
f1x numbers any more than you fix
the number of guns you give the
artillery. think the language should
be general enough to permit sufficient
latitude to care for changing condi-
tions."
The Air Corps would be primarily
concentrated in the United States
but would be available, in emergency.
y,
explained, saying:
L contemplate, in case of necessity
throwing the entire outfit into Pana-
ma, or over to Hawaii, as the prac-
ticability of getting them over there
becomes more and more apparent,
and their need more definite. I am
not even sure you could not get them
over to the PHILIPPINES. You might
have to do it in jumps-to Hawaii.
Guam and Luzon"
McSwain Pleased.
Chairman McSwain of the Military
Affairs Committee, in opening the
meeting, expressed his pleasure at the
general staff's decision to request the
new five-year Air Corps program and
to set up G. H. @. Air Force He
characterized as surprising" the
amount of pressure brought upon his
committee from all parts of the
United States for an increased air
power which is, as they say. a first
line Of defense-the primary fighting
force in the event Of war"
Gen. Macarthur replied that the
question of air defense sis subject,
which perhaps. above all others has
engaged the attention of the Amer
ican War Department since the close
Of the World War, due not only to
the potentialities of the air as a me-
dunn of war, but also partially due
to the newness and undeveloped char
acteriStics Of the arm"
There has been a tremendous de-
velopment in the airplane itself, the
general said.
Il refer" he explained, mot only
to the normal development OF COM
mercial aviation, but also to the spe-
cial and individualized types with
their particularly military missions.
The development has been so rapid
that 1t has been of doubtful wisdom
to purchase, at any particular mo-
ment, great numbers of even the best
types then existing.
THE types that we now have are
changing. perhaps, more rapidly in
performance characteristics than at
any other time since the World War"
Remarkable results are being
achieved in the development of the
three combat types of Army airplanes
pursuit, bombardment and attack
Macarthur said.
The three types are beginning to
blend; and personally believe" he
stated, that within the next 10 years
you will probably see such a marked
Improvement that one type will do
the work that is now divided among
the three types. Our latest bombers
attain speed of about 210 miles per
hour. That is many miles faster than
our present pursuits make. I believe
the speeds will increase. I believe
the sizes of ships will probably in
crease"
As result of the testimony of Gen.
Macarthur and Air Corps officers in
executive session and of the witnesses
called subsequently in open session,
the committee is now working on the
legislation necessary to call into exist
ence the new Air Corps which will
mark the beginning Of new day in
national defense.