The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1938-03-03

struction to the enemy. Whether
torpedoes can sink battleships with
out fail is not known. Explosives
and arnor have both been improved
since the World war. Torpedoes
discharged from submarines were
pretty sure fire when they made
fair hit. OF course all manner OF
defenses will be developed against
the boats and all could not succeed
in their purpose.
The navy is much more likely to
consider designing torpedo boats for
the Philippine government than Tor
itself in the near future. The Phil
ippines might be attacked from
close in. The Panama Canal zone
also could make good use OF tor
pedo defense. But canal command
ers fear sabotage or aerial bomb
ings much more than attack from
the sea. Sabotage could be accom-
plished by blowing up a merchant
ship from inside as it passed
through the locks.
Voluntary death as pilot of flying
bombs in the shape of airplanes
also has been talked of. Torpedo
airplanes would be superior to boats
in that they could travel several
thousand miles to reach the enemy.
Some strategists say airplanes could
not come close to battle fleets IN
the face of anti-aircraft gunfire. An
ti-aircraft guns have been improved
tremendously, with scientific sights.
But sights are no good on dark
night or a murky day. The suicide
planes, unseen, could find the war
ships all right. Unless the gunneIs
got their range with the new sound
detectors. It's complicated prob
lem. Only the next war can tell
the answer.
Sees Senate Battle
The next major battle in the SEN
ate will be President Roosevelt s
government reorganization propos-
al. And first to be affected by re-
organization will be air transport.
Whether the bill is passed or not,
aviation is already being used by
James Roosevelt as a guinea pig on
which TO make preliminary tests of
his ideas. James is the Presidents
specialist on reorganization.
Some weeks ago the President,
embarrassed by the two-year-old
wrangle of government agencies for
authority over air transport, called
Sen. Patrick A. McCarran of Ne
vada to the White House and asked
him to write a bill creating an in
dependent commission to control
aviation and end the row.
McCarran and his aides had no
sooner written the bill than they
found that the matter had been
turned over to James. The Post
Office department and the Depart
ment of Commerce, which now con-
troll air transport, and which have
a strange hold on it, Immediately
/ set upon James and got many of
their old foibles written into the bill.
Not only that, but James proceeded
to write into the bill unlimited au-
thority for the President over the
proposed air commission. He also
would place the commission in the
Department of Commerce building.
Chances are this aviation bill will
get nowhere in congress. Probably
the government reorganization plan
will be only partly accepted. But
meanwhile. the air transport peo-
pie must go on through more
months OF their dilemma. Business
men who complain about too much
| government regulation don't fully
understand what air transport has
TO contend with.
Because nearly all the lines carry
air mail, the Post Office department
establishes their routes and draws
up their schedules. 1t has power
to cancel the contracts, as it did
in 1884.
Fixes Air Mail Rates
The interstate commerce commits,
sion fixes rates for carrying air
/ mail. and in doing SO it examines
every detail OF every operator s
business each year. It even ana.
lyzes his purchases, his wage rates,
equipment repairs, to see if he spent
more than necessary. Nothing the
company does escapes scrutiny.
And to top it all. the commission
publishes its findings in detail for
all the world to read, although it's
mighty dry reading.
The bureau of air commerce con
trolls airway beacons, intermediate
landing fields and radio beams, and
it makes the safety rules.
Then there is the federal com.
munications commission, which
tells the air lines what radio wave
lengths to use This is so compli,
Gated that the air transport compa-
MES maintain an organization in
Washington called Aeronautical Ra-
dio, Inc, to keep track of the kilo
| cycles.
Still another is the Department 81
/ Agriculture, which climbs aboard
all United States oversee and for.
eignl airplanes and looks in the pas
sengers luggage for Japanese bee
ties or what have they. Agricul.