Evening star., 1941-04-20

| icy that they shall be denied such a
foothold. To make good this policy, we
must depend upon air power to a very
great extent-and upon a very special
kind of air power cut to fit our require
ments. There is no adequate air force
in Latin America capable of withstand
ing powerful aggression, and military
leaders hold that the United States must
provide a force capable of beating off
any hostile effort to establish bases
within 1000 miles of the American main
land or to smash such force should it
ksucceed in landing q Bleaching force by
surprise. s
That however, is a purely. defensive
concept and no war has been won by re-
manning on the defensive. Beyond
these defense requirements, therefore,
1t is held that the United States must
have an air force with sufficient range
OF action to strike the enemy air force
on its bases and to destroy the factories
which produce his aircraft and other
weapons.
Erred in Not Following U. S.
This line Of reasoning. according to
Gen. Arnold, indicates an important
strategic concept for the building of our
own air force.
1T will indicate" he said, that giant
planes OF vast range are required to do
the work 1t may show that. like Eng
land and France, we have done some
sloppy thinking and have some revisions
to make in the size of the individual
air weapon and in the numbers we will
require of this vast size"
Failure of Germany and Great Britain
to follow United States leadership in
development of long-range, heavy, four
engined bombers now is conceded by
representatives of both belligerents to be
one of the most serious errors in their
plans for aerial warfare, and both sides
are striving frantically to make good
critical shortages of these big ships.
United States orders for four -engined
oomoers, still remaining untitled, have
neared the s40O, 100000 level Produc-
ton OF these major air units, however,
is nearing its maximum anticipated rate
in present plants. Forty-six Consolidated
and Boeing four-engined bombers now
are being delivered to England and it
is probable that others will follow.
1t is evident that lack of British long
range bomberS has spared the German
rear areas and has made it possible
for the Nazis to transfer vital produc-
ton activities to the safety of former
Czecho-Sloyakian and Polish territory.
They will be safe there, however. only
until long-range bombers reach the
R. A. F., and they are on the way.
U. S. Has Five Year Start.
When the United States pioneered
the Flying Fortress nearly 10 years ago.
the project was ridiculed in Europe.
where it was held that such aircraft
were SO costly, so vulnerable and so
unwieldy that they would be of no
practical value in war. The present
European fighting, however, has spread
lar beyond the range of the smaller
two-engined bombers, in the construc-
ton of which both Germany and Great
Britain specialized. Developed primarily
Tor the great distances involved in
American defense, the four-engined
bomber has been recognized as the
answer to the spreading European war
problem.
The changed concept IN the worlds
war Offices regarding the long-range
bomber unquestionably will impel other
governments to seek even bigger air.
planes than the r-engined types now
crossing the Atlantic to England. In
this race for the superbomber, the
United States is lucky indeed to have
had the benefit of f1ve-year start, in
the opinion of aeronautical leaders.
From this work, now taking concrete
form in the Biz and the plans for the
100-tonner, will come other great long
range bombers and the cargo and troop
transports of tomorrow. And beyond
them, in the days after the war, may
come the great transcontinental and
transoceanic land planes of the future,
3 airplanes that will conquer any distance
to any place on the surface Of the globe.