Evening star., 1935-12-08

Air Force and, consequently, the back
bone of our air defenses. The mass
ing of the Air Force in Florida. how
ever, has served to demonstrate that
the @. H. @. Air Force, when cut
loose from It's home bases, Is highly
mobile fighting arm. The Florida
concentration was completed within
less than "a hours from points as far
distant as March Field, Calf, and
Selfridge Field, Mich.
By a process of draining the Ma
tion's defense bases of their combat
airplanes, the G. H. @. Air Force has
been able to assemble somewhere in
the vicinity of 200 airplanes in Florida
Not all Of them are modern combat
types.
Cy Caldwell, outspoken associate
editor of Aero Digest, has just pointed
out that if the United States were to
20 to war today the Army would have
only 1865 modern fighting planes with
which to defend the country. Even II
none were in the overhaul and repair
shops, that would provide only one
modern airplane to defend 8OO,OOO
citizens. or one to each 22,657 square
miles of territory.
Caldwell lists as the only modern
equipment of the Air Force 40 Martin
BIO and BIZ bombardment airplanes,
IS Curtis Al2 attack airplanes and 80
Boeing PISA pursuit airplanes. These,
he contends, are the only airplanes the
Army has today which are suitable for
war
The General Headquarters Air
Force, organized March l, numbers
some $40 airplanes Of all types, ac-
cording to a statement made by Brig.
Gen. Frank NJ. Andrews, commanding
general of the Air Force, to the Asso-
ciated Press in Florida. He described
about half this number as outdated
but not yet obsolete. The G. H. O.
Air Force was intended at the time of
its organization to be composed OF an
effective force of nearly 1000 combat
airplanes, suitable for war service at
days notice.
r
part of the training program for the
new Air Force, is intended to test the
mobility of air and ground units, COM
bat training and communications
systems The concentration will end
with demonstrations by the entire
force at the All-American air races
in Miami next Thursday, Friday and
Saturday.
In addition to the many Army OFF,
GERS who have gone from the War
Department to observe the first ma
tional concentration of the G. H. @.
Air Force, a party Of Navy observers
also has gone from Washington to wit
ness the maneuvers as the guests OF
the Army.
Authorization for the mobilization
of the entire United States National
Guard Air Force in Miami during the
period of the races has been given by
the War Department. There now are
National Guard squadrons based in l9
States. They serve as observation
aviation for the National Guard divi-
sions.
The present concentration of Army
combat airplanes in Florida is not par
ticularly impressive in the face OF re-
ports of foreign air ornaments. II
the United States is to put its reliance
for air defense in G. H. @. Air Force
or any other aerial striking unit it
should be a reliance based not upon
mere paper effectiveness but upon
modern airplanes, pilots and ground
equipment. If the Air Force is to be
the spearhead of emergency defense,
it should be built up to adequate
strength. An Air Force of $40 air
planes, half of which are obSolescent,
cannot be regarded as much more
than a defensive gesture.
So many enlisted men Of the local
Marine Corps Aviation Reserve Squad
ron have learned to fly during the past
Summer that formation of flying
club among members of the squadron
is being considered and efforts are be-
ing made to have the entire squadron
personnel undertake flight training.
Since the cost of private flying les
sons is too high for some members
of the squadron to shoulder them
selves, the club plan is being con-
sidered as a means of reducing train
ing costs. The club, of necessity.
would be unofficial and would be apart
from the squadron duties. The mem
bers, however, would benefit greatly, it
was pointed out, from the official
study courses they now are receiving
in motors, airplane rigging and allied
subjects.
Members of the squadron have been
asked to effect a definite organization
SO that a training airplane for the
club may be bought during the Winter