Evening star., 1939-03-01
Appropriations
Continued From First Page.)

defend the United States from aerial
invasion.
Added to these, he said, were 104
observation craft and also training
ships and planes used by the Ma
tional Guard, raising the total to
1,428, exclusive of those on order.
In a detailed breakdown of the
work of the Air Corps, Gen. Arnold
reported these developments:
The Army has asked manufac-
turers to submit bids on a training
plane made of plastic materials.
Eventually, he said it is hoped to
pour airplanes' like concrete.
Meanwhile, efforts are being made
to do away with the present use of
from 10000 to $4,000 rivets in a
plane by using stainless steel and
employment of spot and stitch weld
ing.
Close study has been started of
the helicopter and planes of ex-
tremely slow landing speed, as well
as the autogyro, for use as observa-
ton craft.
The Army's single experimental
substratosphere craft presages fu-
ture bombers flying at 35 900 feet.
An experimental two-motor "air-
acuda' fighting plane, armed with a
cannon, ''is the most striking ex-
ample Of airplane development OF
the past year anywhere in the
world"
Other experiments include trans
portation of troops-as many as an
/ infantry regiment complete with
trench mortars and machine guns
by air.
Bomb Production Explained.
Maj. Gen. C. NJ. Wesson, chief of
Army ordnance. told the subcom-
mittee a plan has been developed
for producing bombs "by the use of
comparatively simple equipment, of
which large amount exists
throughout the country"
Gen. Wesson explained it in
volved the substitution of electric
Welding of sheet metal for the
older process of piercing and draw
Ing forged billets which required
large-capacity forging presses.
| Brig. Gen. John J. Kingman,
assistant to the chief of Army en-
glneers, listed as one of the Army's
most important advances the de-
velopment of new demolition ex-
plosive designed to take the place
OF INT. 1t is called nitro starch.
Gen. Wesson told the committee
the Springfield arsenal would be
producing 200 of the new Garand
semi-automatic rifles daily by next
December. He said current produc-
ton OF the weapon, which has about
tive times the fire-power of the old
Springfield rifle, is about 40 a day.
About 227 900 of the new rifles,
costing about $50 each on a 2OO-a-
day production basis, would be re-
quired for a 100000 Army.
the committee was told
Increase for Intelligence.
Col. E. R. Warner McCabe, chief
Of the Intelligence Division, said the
| Budget Bureau added s25 600 to the
divisions request for 100000 for
next year. Col. McCabe explained
1t this way:
That was due to certain condi-
tions and for items with which we
are all familiar arising during recent
months in connection with the ac-
quiring of military information and
securing necessary information"
President Roosevelt disclose d sew
eral months ago that the { vern-
ments intelligence units wer being
co-ordinated to combat spy lg op-
erations.
The principal mission of the In
telligence Division, Col. McCabe
said. is to obtain information on
foreign countries necessary to proper
formulation of defense plans. He
added:
TO accomplish this mission, we
have 80 officers detailed to 20 mill
tary attache Offices maintained
abroad. From these military at
taches, there comes to our intelli-
gence branch steady flow of in
formation collected from nearly all
the countries of the world"
Infantry Plans Detailed.
Maj. Gen. George A. Lynch, chief
of infantry, detailed plans to reor-
ganize the infantry regiment from
its World War setup.
He said the reorganized regiment
would be able to reach enemy posi-
tions with mobile mortars, take ad-
vantage of automatic f1anking fire
against defense forces and keep
heavier weapons abreast of Infantry
advances.
Gen. Arnold said he had recon-
mended that hangers for air bases
be limited to one for each squadron
for overhaul and repair work and
that the planes be kept in the open
the same as present-day automo-
biles."
Gen. Arnold testified, in response
to questions, that in addition to
having money the proposed practice
i