Evening star., 1938-10-30
ROOSEVELT SEES
US. WARPLANES
Review Thought Designed to
Focus Attention on
Expansion Plans.

President Roosevelt inspected the
countrys aerial fighting might yester-
day afternoon. He visited Boiling Field
and the Naval Air Station, where
ships brought from as far away as
play for the special benefit of the Com
mander in Chief of the Army and
Navy.
Secretary Of the Navy Swanson,
Assistant Secretary of War johnson,
Secretary of the Treasury Morgenthau,
Undersecretary of the Treasury Hanes
and high-ranking military ofhcials ac-
companied Mr.. Roosevelt during his
two-hour round Of the air bases in
Ana costa.
r. Daniel Bell. acting director of the
budget, rode in the automobile process
sion from the White House to the air
fields. and the members of the Civil
Aeronautics Authority met the Presi-
dent at Boiling Field and at Naval Air
Station.
The men and officers OF both posts
were ready tn formation and at atten-
ton when the Presidents car ap-
peAred. The review was thought to be
Assigned to focus attention on the
defense expansion program which the
President is expected to launch at the
coming session Of Congress.
$1,000, 200 Air Dreadnauxht.
Among the IS planes grounded in
line for Mr.. Roosevelt, the President
saw for the first time the 81 ,000, 900
flying dreadnaught Of the Navy, which
was flown without landing gear across
the continent two days ago from San
Diego, Calf. and the Army's Curtiss
P-40 air-conditioned pursuit ship, on
which experiments are still being made
at Wright Field, Dayton. Ohio.
Dressed in the Army's new two
toned blue dress uniform, the chief
Of the Army Air Corps, Mai. Gen.
Henry H. Arnold, with a gold sash
around his middle sat by the Presi-
dents side in the White House car
at the Army's Chieftan rode through
Boiling Field. 1t. Col r. E. Gal
loway, commanding Boiling Field, rode
with them.
Ten minutes after the President
left Boiling and reached the Naval
Air Station, Gen. Arnold appeared in
brown civilian suit to take a pro-
fessional look at the flying dread
naught. It is slightly smaller than
the Army's flying fortress, the Boeing
XB-15, four-engined monoplane which
was put on view for the President.
Tail-C Chamber Interests Arnold.
Gen. Arnold was chiefly interested
in the dreadnaught's tail-chamber,
from which fire can be directed. He
said that he had been trying for
years to obtain such q feature for
Army planes without success. He
added that he trusted now he would
have no trouble getting his wants
fulfilled. Such q tail arrangement
greatly increases the fighting EN-
cheney of the super planes
Admiral william D. Leahy, chief
Of operations, u. s. NJ; Rear Admiral
Arthur B. Cook, chief OF aeronautics,
U. s. NJ, and Comdr John Dale Price,
commanding Naval Air Station,
greeted the President on his arrival
at the Navy base and pointed out to
him the marvels of their new dread
naught. They also arranged a Demon
stration of unfolding and folding the
wings of q monoplane built for
service on plane carriers.
Two Of the naval planes came from
Coco Solo, Panama, by nonstop flight,
arriving yesterday after running
through a severe storm over the Carib-
bean. The others were brought from
(see ROOSEVELT, Page A-3.)