The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-25

gressional circles.
 This situation is the number of fatalities among naval flyers dur ing the past year. A total of 55 flyers were killed in 1888 ct San Diego alone.
 This has created c virtual"relgn or terror" among the wives of many aviators, who believe that most of the deaths were due to fatigue from too many hours in the cir, and to the absence Of mechanical safeguards.
 Probably the basic reason for these fatalities is that the Navy always has been bossed by men skilled in navigating surface boats, heavy ships which can reduce speed and mark time until dan- ger passes. Handling Q modern warplane which requires decisions in split seconds is entirely dif- ferei1t.
 CASTE SYSTEM
 Today there has grown up in naval aviation three groups Of personnel which many regard as c caste system. They are:
 1. Regular naval officers who graduate from Annapolis, Ia. ter train ct the Nays air school, famed Pensaeola. These are the Nays blue-bloods, usually strong on tradition and the trimmings of militarism.
 2. Enlisted men, super.typcs of sailors who are promoted through sheer ability. Highest they can rise, however, is to chief aviation pilot. They never can attain the higher ranks Of Annapolis graduates. These men are the leathernecks of the air
 3. Aviation cadets. These are graduates of colleges, briefly trained ct Pensacola, who serve for four years with the Navy. At the end Of four years ser- vice they are compelled to TO. tire. If they want to secure officers rank and climb higher on the promotion ladder, they go back to Annapolis and get stepped in the trimmings Of militarism.
 Men in these three groups do much the same work, share the same risks, nevertheless the three groups get different pay and dit. fererit social treatment. Between the enlisted men and the Ann. apoIis graduates there is c wide chasm which the men resent deeply.
 NAVAL PURGE
 Resentment is particularly keen because some Of the Nays non- Annapolis officers gro now being purged by passing them over tor promotion. thus automatically rc. tiring them. On the purge list arc some Of the Nays abiess pilots:
 Captain John II. Towers, assistant chief Of the Bureau Of Aeropautics, rated the Nays No. 1 pilot.
 Commander 4. E. Montgomery, executive officer Of the air force at the San Diego station.
 Lieut. Commander David Rit- tenhouse, winner Of the famous Schneider Cup.
 Lieut., Commander Howard Brow, winner of the world speed record in land planes in 1922.
 Lieut.. Commander Andrew CrlnkIey, now testing new bomber for the Navy, although he has been held unworthy tor retention in the service.
 Lieut.. Commander Ia D. Ly' 0ns. World War ace. n-.,. .,
 Lieut.. Commander Henry Stanley, World War see and fa. nous racing pilot.
 Explanations Of Navy Depart. t,enE executives is that most Of these men were World War flyers trained to pilot c plane but in. skilled ct anything else, such as commanding c battIeship. Therc- fore, when they reach the danger. oiis age-which is 70 for pilots they cannot be put back on the bridge Of . warship or in com. Sjtasid Of . shore station.
 Furthermore, the law requires that once an officer fails of pro- intiop, he must be automatically retired and the Navy Department has no other alternative.
 Tn this, the explanation of Navy higher-ups is correct. The fault