Evening star., 1938-02-27
GUARDS PROTECT
| i. S. AIR SECRETS
Elaborate Precautions Are
Taken, Even in Private
Industrial Plants,
By the Associated Press.

s~~SAi UAi iOItkos
By the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Feb. 2s.-In a dozen
sprawling airplane factories, where the
hammers Of rearmament beat L "a
hour tattoo, inconspicuous guards are
protecting the secrets Of American
military aviation.
The Government Is taking elaborate
precautions against disclosures to for
eign powers as it builds up its land and
sea air forces.
An Eastern manufacturer OF fast
pursuit planes recently was permitted
to show visitors from abroad through
his plant only after he had erected
protective partitions shutting of a
view Of work he was doing for the
Army.
Almost Arm Of Government.
No military machine of any char.
acter can be exported without the per.
mission of the Army and Navy.
Peculiarly q part of the national
| defense mechanism the aircraft indus
try in the United States has reached
the point where. except for producers
Of certain commercial types Of planes
of doubtful value in wartime, it works
| almost as an arm of Government In
supplying instruments Of combat.
If the Army and Navy buys q ma
chine from manufacturer. the pur-
chase agreement contains clause per-
mitting the Government to clamp
down on all other sales, domestic or
foreign, If it so chooses
The makers of aircraft, aircraft
parts and the instruments which fill
the cockpits Of the modern, highly
complicated flying machines rolling OF
American assembly lines buttress the
Governments precautions with many
of their own.
Largest Individual Customers
Even If patriotism did not dictate
the care with which they guard their
products. business considerations
would. The Army and Navy are the
manufacturers largest individual Gus
| toners.
In one Eastern instrument plant
every employe soon will be wearing an
Identification shield for entering and
leaving the premises without challenge.
In addition to other information, it
will bear notation as to the number
OF years Of his employment with the
company.
Foreign visitors to American air
craft factories must wind up much red
tape before they are permitted a
glimpse Of dies, materials and prod
ucts. A request for visit goes first
to his embassy. The embassy trans
mits 1t to the State Department, and
the State Department to the Army
and Navy.
Accompanied by Inspector.
II pass is obtained, the visitor is
accompanied by Government inspec-
tor when he enters the factory. A few
days later a complete report on the
| incident is in official files. Included
In the data is minute description of
the person, including notation on
his familiarity with the English Ian
guage.
In certain plants only American
citizens OF proven loyalty are allowed
at all. Those properties are definitely
on limits" to the nationals Of for
eign lands.
The secrecy Of work extends 10 the
laboratories Of the National Advisory
Committee for Aeronautics. the Gov
ernment-financed research agency
which has been responsible for much
OF the advancement in flying In the
last 20 years.
Secret list experimental airplsnes,
some Of which are Of revolutionary de-
sign and performance, currently in
clude one made entirely-except for
the motor. instruments and control
devices-of plastics. the same material
often found in combs, radio cabinets
and ash trays.
Ease OF molding would make possi-
Die the quick production OF almost
lmltless numbers Of airplanes for
national emergency If the plastic ma
chine proves to have the necessary
strength and resiliency.
Plans in Cold Storage.
Specifications for American engines
OF aerial warfare. which may not be
built for some years to come and are
known only to small, select group Of
engineers and service officers, are in
cold storage" at Wright Field, Day.
ton. Ohio; Anacostia, San Diego.
washington and at the naval aircraft
factory in Philadelphia.
The secret construction Of experi-
mental types Of machines sometimes
Is unknown even to the test pilots who
put them through their PAGES.
open bidding" required by law
when the armed services draw up their
own specifications for aircraft, has
produced another problem in the
maintenance of secrecy. Dummy cor
porations can be set up from which
such specifications cannot be withheld
unless the enterprise can be proved
spurious.
On the chance that a foreign power
has hand in such undertakings, the
Army and Navy double-check each
newly incorporated company evincing
an interest in Government work.
Aeronautical engineers sometimes
give headaches to Government officers
charged with insuring the secrecy of
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