The Wilmington morning star., 1940-09-17
WASHINGTON
REPORT
BY CHARLES p. STEWART
Central Press Columnist o.

BY P. STEWART
Central Press Columnist
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16. Wendell L. Will
kie's recent assertion that ''the militar v
strength of a nation now rests primarily upon
its air power unquestionably is representa-
tive of a deal of present day official sentiment
IN Washington, and probably of all sorts OF
opinion throughout the country.
Upon Germany's launching of the Nazis
really intensive aerial activities in the Nor
Wegian campaign, I had occasion to remark
that this is a war which promises an initial
test of aviaticn's potentialites in competition
with surface fighting forces on land and sea.
Up to the end of the last world conflict the
plane was insufficiently developed to Justify
a very convincing guess as to it's future DOS
slollltles. Later, as it was improved upon, air
men demonstrated its steadily increasing eff.
ficency, but experts didn't consider it's peace
time sham performances altogether conclusive.
Under war time conditions, they said it might
not register so formidably.
To be sure, aviation enthusiasts, even then,
voiced their confidence in its unqualified SUI
p%eriority to terrestrial soldiery and maritime
armament. Army and navy men, however,
spoke OF 1t as merely a valuable ARM O.
their respective services. In fact, they verged
on being outright resentful of some of the
claims made by notable flyers. The late Gen.
eral Billy Mitchell was one of the latter. It will
be recalled that the army court martialled
and severely disciplined him for his pro-ayia-
ton utterances.
Public Rather Puzzled
I think the general public was rather puz-
zled by the controversy.
On the one hand it probably felt that the
a~viators over-estimated the plane as a mill
tary contrivance.
On the opposite hand. doubtless it suspected
army and navy officers of being a lot of back
number who didn't want to believe that their
land and sea outfits are verging on obsoles-
cence and that they're in danger of going into
the discard professionally. as no longer worth
supporting.
The Jap-Chinese war and Germany's con-
quest OF Poland didn't settle the dispute. It's
true that Jap airmen raised hades in China
and that Germany's victory over the Poles
was mainly an aerial accomplishment. Still
China isn't licked yet. And the Poles. with M
outside help, naturally were no match for the
Nazis.
There's no denying. anyway, that planes
can do an infinity of damage.
But can they win a war, regardless Of the
opposing belligerents' surface competency?
Wendell Wilkes answer is that ''air power''
is primary"
MOI so Illogical
Presumably he bases his judgment on the
circumstances that Hitler overran Norway ir
spite Of British sea supremacy and occupied
Holland, Belgium and part of France in the
face of Anglo-French terrestrial opposition
and did it all principally by virtue of his avia
tors activities. His surface troops attended tt
Denmark, but geographically that was easy
Wendel's argument isn't so illogical.
While admitting that planes can create plen
ty of ~wreckage, surface army strategists have
contended all along that they can't OCCUPY
a devastated area. The notion that they car
land military occupants by parachutes ha'
been pooh-pooh'd, on the ground that such par
achutists numbers couldn't conceivably be con
sequential. Yet the Germans did it, in Nor
way, Holland, Belgium and France, and the.
are a worry to England. The stunt may be
theoretical impossibility. Nevertheless it.:
been accomplished. OF course there must havt
been fifth %colurnnists to welcome the para
chutists as they landed. They got away with i
though, in Scandinavia, France and the Low
countries.
Wendell Willkie wants a department Of avi
alton, like the war and navy departments.
1t isn't a new suggestion. European coun
tries, with few important exceptions, hav'
aviation ministers independently of their wa:
and navy ministries.
Wilkes schelAa is, ultimately, to havi
ONE department of national defense, includ
ing aviation, army and navy. He says the TIM
hasn't quite arrived for it, but that's what he
shooting at. .
The prospect that army and navy men don
like is this:
They're afraid that aviation will wag tn
army and navy.