Evening star., 1939-04-08
Battle Is Forecast
Over AeronauticaI
Research Funds
Downey und Johnson
To Fight for Plant
At SunnyvoIe, CoIif.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
A fight appears in prospect on the
Senate floor for increased appro-
priations for aeronautical research.
Senator Downey, Democrat, of
California said today that he and
Senator johnson. Republican, OF
California intended to oppose the
report of the Appropriations Com
mittee, which denied request for
81 4,000, 900 to establish a research
center at Sunnyvale, Calf.
Publication of the testimony be-
fore the committee disclosed yes
terday that expert witnesses had
warned it that United States war
planes were inferior. to Germany's
Senator Downey said group OF
other Western Senators would aid
In the fight for the Sunnyvale prof.
ect. He declined to name them.
The committee report disclosed
that Joseph S. Ames, chairman Of
the National Advisory Committee
for Aeronautics, had testified that
the Reich's warplanes were better
than this country's. Mr. Ames at
tributed this to Germany's superior
research facilities.
ITO go to war in second best air
craft would invite disaster" he said.
Even to engage in strong diplo-
matte representations would be as
ineffective as the second best air
force was at the Munich confer
ence."
Urge Langley Extension.
Mr.. Ames' committee had recon-
mended appropriation of funds to
establish the California station and
also of $2,14O.0OO for improving the
facilities of the existing station at
Langley Field, Va. The latter re-
quest was approved
Mr.. Ames said of the Sunnyvale
project:
What makes the project emer-
ncy in character is the fact that
Germany, because of her larger re-
search organization, now has the
ability to design and actually has in
service aircraft of superior per-
formance. Looking at this problem
with long-range perspective, i. be-
comes more evident that every day S
delay in putting the Sunnyvale
project into effect inures to our
further disadvantage and makes the
job of catching up that much
larger"
Urge Second Station.
Both the Sunnyvale and Langley
Field appropriations were recon-
mended by Maj Gen. H. H. Arnold
chief OF the Army Air Corps. and
Rear Admiral Arthur B. Cook, chief
of the Naval Bureau of Aeronautics.
TO regain American leadership
it is imperative that the N. A. C. A
research facilities be materially ex-
panded," they said in letter to the
committee. "A second major re-
search station is necessary, and to
be OF most value to the Army and
Navy, it should be on the West
Coast. We do not wish to have all
our eggs in. one basket"
The appropriat ton for Langley
"oo hAASAldSu al VIC SlfO,JUU.UUU SeC-
ond deficiency bill. which the Ap-
propria tions Committee placed be-
fore the Senate yesterday.
The Senate Committee retained
House-approved appropriations and
authorizations totaling $4,000, ,0OO
for critical" equipment needs of
the Army. This equipment would
include semi-automatic rifles. tanks
anti-tank guns, gas masks, artillery
and ammunition.
Also retained were ALLEGATIONS of
S6.539 900 to strengthen seacoast
defenses and s36.5OO,OOO for the
Navy. Most of the latter fund
would be spent so as to prevent any
cessation in the current shipbuild-
ing program.