Evening star., 1938-12-28

D0TJdfe ana MAJOR nations OF
Europe are noU engaged in turi-
Gus competition to build great
air fleets. Congress last year au-
thorized increase for United
States. but eUen IT sufficient
funds Were available to build to
present limit, total 1Dould be only
5000 military planes. Admints-
trdtion no1U contemplates er-
pdnded program of building
ships and training men.
By the Associated Press.
President Roosevelt's plans to
train 10000 civilian aviators year
provided another indication today
Of his determination to keep the
United States high in the ranks of
world air powers.
The program, as disclosed at
White House press conference and
by the Civil Aeronautics Authority,
contemplates' experimental training
of about 300 students in a dozen
colleges this spring.
IT Congress votes sufficient funds,
the training will be offered at several
hundred colleges and universities in
the fall. Mr.. Roosevelt estimated it
would cost $9,800,000 for a years
schooling for 10000 pilots.
The cream of the new flyers, under
tentative plans, would find oppor-
tunities for military careers in the
expanded Army and Navy air forces.
"Only by such an approach" said
tie Civil Aeronautics Authority,
'can the United States adequately
safeguard itself against the vast
aerial militarization programs now
being pressed with fanatic zeal by
foreign powers"
Trained for Civil Aviation.
Both the President and the Au-
thority stressed that the prospec-
tive pilots would be trained first
of all for civil aviation. The re-
suit, it was hoped, would be stim-
ulation of interest in private flying
and a consequent increase in the
productivity of American aircraft
factories.
ut is more in keeping with the
American spirit of preparedness"
the Authority said, ito build up a
great pool of men and machines,
dedicated to and engaged in the
pursuit of peace, but yielding first
place to no other nation in flying
skill or technical development, and
quickly adaptable to military needs
In the event of war"
An experimental application of
the program, costing not over $780,
600. is planned for the last semester
Of the present academic year. From
the colleges and universities now
giving courses of instruction in avia-
ton IL or less are to be chosen and
the 300 students trained in them.
The Authority said that among
the schools chosen for the expert
ment were Purdue University, the
University of Alabama, the Uni
versity of Minnesota, the University
of Washington. Massachusetts, In
stitute of Technology. the Texas A.
and M. College, and the Georgia
School of Technology. Others are
20 be announced later.
The pilot training project was the
first of the Presidents far-reaching
rearmament plan to be made public
IN detail.
Steps already have been taken
for parallel training of aviation
mechanics In the view of some
military officials, mechanics are even
more Immediately essential for a
greatly expanded American air
force such as Mr.. Roosevelt is be-
lieved to be ready to propose to
Congress.
In general, the Civil Aeronautics
Authority is to direct the training
Of pilots, and the National Youth
Administration the school of me-
ehanics.
Other parts of the aviation pro-
gram which have come to light in
piecemeal fashion are:
/. Expansion of the Army Air
Corps to a force of upward of 10000
planes, including training planes,
craft assigned to the National
Guard, and planes held in reserve
2. Expansion of the commercial
aircraft industry and its mainte-
nance at top capacity with COM
mercial. domestic and export orders
as we'll as military contracts.
Many Planes Necessary.
Mr.. Roosevelt nodded agreement
to question at his press conference
as to whether IAN enormous num-
ber" of planes would be required
for the training of pilots, but said
it was his idea that Government
craft should not be employed. Army
and Navy officers will be used to give
the training, however.
The United States now has about
10000 civilian and military pilots of
all degrees of proficiency, plus some
$4,000 enrolled as students. The
students include about 1000 who
were given assistance from the In
terror Departments vocational train
ing funds this year, and many others
whose training is considered desul-
tory.
Informed military officials said
they understand that Nazi ambi-
tions and organization have pro-
vided Germany with several times
as many trained flyers as any other
power. Germany is reticent about
disclosing military aviation informa-
ton, so exact figures are secret.
Third Go Into Air Force.
In Germany all able bodied youths
must start military training at l8,
and third of these are assigned to
the air force to be trained as pilots
or mechanics. Italy trains her youth
from an early age to become IA