Evening star., 1934-04-17
AIR CORPS STUDY
HEADED BY BAKER
Former Secretary and Com.
mittee of II to Review
DefenseS.

The badly tangled problem of the
Nations aerial defenses, complicated
BY the experience of the Army in
flying the airmail, today was turned
over by Secretary of War Dern to a
special committee of II military and
civilian members headed by former
Secretary of War Newton D. Baker
Meeting at the War Department be-
hind closed doors, the Baker Commit
tee, created to study the Army Air
Corps, began the task of preparing
for what is expected to be the most
important aviation study undertaken
by the United States since the work
of the Morrow board, which was re-
sponsible for the present aviation
policies of the Nation.
Notifies Group of Duties.
Secretary Dern formally notified the
committee of its duties, just day
after President Roosevelt had called
for a commission to be named by
Congress for the purpose of outlining
a National air policy.
The Secretary directed the COM
mittee to determine what should be
done to make the Army Air Corps
second to none in modern equip
ment and training" but cautioned the
committee members to keep politics
out of this" He warned the group its
study and deliberations will be re-
stricted to the national defense func-
81 81, ~,
1T appears" Secretary Dern said,
in convening his Special Committee,
that the experience of the Army Air
Corps in carrying the mail has raised
doubts about the general efficiency
of our Army air force. These doubts
have been emphasized by the utter
ances of critics whose competence the
public cannot evaluate. Many of our
citizens are bewildered. They do not
know whether we have a good mill
tary air force or not. If we have,
the public ought to know it and be
treasured. If, on the other hand, we
are deficient in equipment, personnel
or training, We want your best Judg-
ment as to what should be done to
bring us up to q satisfactory standard" a"
In going into the experiences of the
Army in connection with the airmail
service, Secretary Dern instructed the
committee that it should take into
consideration the technical experience
of the Army Air Corps in flying the
mail so as to point out the lessons
taught by that experience. Your mis-
sion is to be a technical one and not
a political one
To Review Equipment.
Secretary Dern asked the committee
to look into the questions of whether
our equipment is the best that can be
had that it is suited to our require
ments; whether the Army Air Corps
has sufficient personnel; whether the
training Of that personnel is adequate
and thorough enough to meet every
demand that might be made upon 1t
in war; whether Army pilots are prop
erly trained in instrument flying, blind
flying and night flying, and whether
the Army gets the benefit of new i'm
provementS in aviation.
Mr. Baker promised Secretary Dern
q thorough study would be made.
SSSO(4dLGO N4l-1 SIld4I 1dkGT Oh
the committee are five military au-
thorities and five civillans-Maj. Gen
Hugh A. Drum, deputy chief of staff
Maj. Gen. George S. Simonds, COM
mandsnt of the Army War College
Maj. Gen. Benjamin D. Foulois, chief
Of the Army Air Corps; Brig. Gen
Charles E. Kilbourne, assistant chief
of staff and head of the war plans
division; Brig. Gen. John w. Gulick
recently retired chief of Coast Artil-
lery; DR.. Karl Taylor Compton, pres
ident of the MasSa chusetts Institute
of Technology; DR.. George w. Lewis
National Advisory Committee for Aer.
onautics; Clarence D. Chamberlin
transatlantic flyer; Maj. James H
Doolittle, famous pilot and aeronau-
tical engineer, and Edgar S. Gorrell
automobile manufacturer and pioneer
military aviator.