Evening star., 1940-05-28
U. 5. Repeating
Defense Error,
Air Forum Told
Armament Efforts
Need Coordination,
Col. GorreII Says

NoI. 0orreII Soys
The outstanding American mis-
take Of the World Wharf.-The distri-
button Of defense authority among
too many disconnected boards and
organizations-is being repeated In
the present American defense effort,
Col. Edgar s. Gorrell, president of
the Air Transport Association OF
America, told delegates to the Ma
tional Aviation Forum at their third
session in the Commerce Depart
ment auditorium today.
The number of organizations in
volved in our curernt defense pro-
gram already is too great" Col. Cor
rell declared.
Col. Gorrell pointed out that the
so, 50,000-airplane program would in
volve obtaining and training twice
the numbers of officers and three
times the number of men in the
combined air forces Of the United
States and Europe at the close Of
the World War. It would require
seven times the number Of officers
and seven times the number of en-
listed men in the aviation service of
the American Expeditionary Force
in France at the end Of the war.
Motor Output Called Bottleneck.
THE public should not be fooled
by impossible statements concerning
our production capacity today" Col.
Gorrel said.
The colonel, who was an active
leader in the American aviation
construction program during the
World War, pointed out that the
production of aircraft engines was
the bottleneck which limited the
actual number of fighting planes
produced during the World War and
that the same situation prevails
today. Although engine production
has been largely increased during
the past year, there are only three
major companies now producing
aviation engines of large horse
power.
Criticizing President Roosevelt's
executive order transferring the
Civil Aeronautics Authority to the
Commerce Department, effective
June II, Col Gorrell declared the
segregation of functions in the new
Civil Aeronautics Board as set UP
under the reorganization plan con-
tains vital inconsistencies"
Civil Aeronautics Act Praised.
He characterized the abandoned
Civil Aeronautics Act as "a good
act" and pointed out that 1t delib-
erately had been divested of any
war powers.
If an improvement in the prac-
tical operation of the regulation and
development of civil aeronautics
does not result there can be no rea-
son whatsoever for continuing the
new setup. The organization created
by Congress worked well. The Or
ganization created as a result of
the Bureau of the Budgets recon-
mendations will have to work almost
perfectly, otherwise the reorganiza-
ton will have proved a waste of
effort and the President may well
feel that he has been unfortunately
advised"
1t is a tragic commentary on our
civilization that it had to be war
that forced the airplane into the
lives of millions of people. the
forum was told by Charles A. Rhein.
strom, vice president of American
Airlines.
He pointed out that millions of
people who until now have scarcely
been aware of the airplane now are
being compelled to consider 1t in
personal terms when they see it
shaping their destinies.
Development of air cargo trans
portation Is vital to American war
preparation, forum delegates were
told by Grover Loening of New
York, pioneer airplane designer. He
pointed out that use of war trans.
portation is new and outstanding
development of the present Euro
pean war and has fundamentally
changed all concepts of war opera
tions. He pointed out that Germany
is using many planes of old types
with great success for the trans
portation of men and supplies, and
that the United States, If it is to
prepare efficiently for war, should
begin at once to develop the trans
portation OF cargo in large quanti-
ties.
He advocated the TRANSPORTATION
OF all first-class mail by air for dis
tances exceeding 400 miles, and also
urged an immediate breaking of an
air express monopoly which, he
charged, is preventing air lines OBJ
tanning cargo now carried by rail by
Keeping air cargo rates artificially
high.
Ready to Train $1,000.
Pointing out that "the very theory
OF democracy and individual liberty
is under point-blank fire from dive
bombers and armored tanks and
f1ame-throwing machines and all the
other awful instruments of modern
warfare" Chairman Robert H.
Hinckley of the Civil Aeronautics
Authority told the forum delegates
late yesterday that his organization
Is ready to undertake the training Of
$1,000 pilots during the coming year
without any loss of efficiency or
safety" He said that experience
with the 10;O00-pilot program now
nearing completion gives assurance
that there will be enough applicants
to assure attainment Of the quota Of
$4,000.
The civil pilot training program,
now about to be turned into . ma
tional defense movement, today is
turning out private pilots at the rate
OF IT'S q day, Mr.. Hinckley said, and
VIII complete the training Of the
whole group Of 10, 900 pilots by June
80. It has so far advanced that
several times that number" can be
turned NIT IN, onvy uoor t,n ~nsl