Evening star., 1941-05-09
Separate Air Force
Backers May Force
Showdown
Randolph Will Press
For Public Hearings
On His Proposal
By JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.

6lOTlS 10 DTlnS ABOUT snow
down on the long standing contro-
versy over creation of a separate air
force before the end of the present
Congress were forecast today.
Since the fight for separate air
force virtually ruptured the high
command of the Army Air Service
and resulted in the resignation from
the Army of the late Gen. William
Mitchell in 1926. there has been no
more controversial problem in con-
nection with American air defense.
Author of bill to establish a de-
partment of air defense ranking
equally with the War and Navy De-
partments, Representative Randolph,
Democrat. of West Virginia said to-
day he would seek a public hearing
on the measure. and, if necessary,
would undertake the circulation
among members of Congress of a
petition to force consideration of the
matter. There is, he said, increasing
support for such legislation in Con-
gress. which long has fought shy of
the separate air force problem.
Transition Step Perilous.
"If We are going to have separate
air force at all" Mr.. Randolph said,
"it should be established, trained
and in working order before the
emergency facing this country be-
comes acute. The transition to q
separate air force is too major a
step to be undertaken during the
course Of a military campaign"
Successes of the German Luft-
waite. which ranks equally with the
German Army and Navy, and of
the British Royal Air Force, point to
the need for creation of a separate
aerial striking force capable of in
dependent action or of cooperation
with either the Army or Navy, or
both, in the opinion of those who
are supporting the Randolph bill.
The Randolph bill avoids one of
the most serious aspects of the sep
arate air force problem. This is
the role Of naval aviation. Under
the Randolph bill, naval aviation is
not disturbed. rema ming. as now,
part of the Navy, subject wholly to
naval control.
More extreme plans have provided
for transfer to the proposed sep
arate air force not only of all
Army aviation, but also Of Navy,
Marine Corps and Coast Guard
aviation. In the face of bitter op-
position to anything which would |
disturb the present highly efficient |
Of naval aviation, how
ever, all of these plans have died
aborning. Even the British, who
sought to set up an independent |
air force during World War days, |
soon found that 1t did not work in so
far as the navy was concerned, and |,
have freed the naval air arm from |
the r. A. F.
Axis Problems Different.
The Germans, lacking a navy
which requires integral aviation,
have not had to face this problem. |
There are no German aircraft car
riers. Italy also has neglected naval
neglect for which she
paid heavily in recent Mediterra-
mean actions.
Another serious problem to be
considered in connection with a sep
arate air force Is that of Army CO.
operative aviation. Observation avi-
alton has become an integral part
of the ground Army. Each Army
division has its own observation
squadron, organically a part Of the
division. These are integral corps
and Army aviation units. Observa-
ton balloons, as well as airplanes,
are organically part of the ground
forces under the present setup.
Leaving out naval aviation and
such Army aviation as is now Or
ganically part of the ground forces,
there is little to incorporate in a
separate air force but the remainder
of the Army Air Corps and the Cen
eral Headquarters Air Force. These
are the units which would be af-
fected by the Randolph bill.
The bill would transfer to the
Department of Air Defense all the
functions and duties of the Secre-
tary of War relating to military
aeronautics. All officers and en-
ployes of the War Department whose
duties relate to military aeronauticS
would be transferred without change
of classification or compensation.
Functions Explained.
The plan proposes the creation IN
the Department of Air Defense of
a general staff with functions, con-
cerning the air force. similar to
those OF the War Department gen.
eral staff today. The chief of staff
of air defense and assistant chiefs
of staff would be selected by the
President from officers Of the present
Air Corps.
Under such setup, military opera
tions requiring cooperation between
the air and ground forces, air and
naval forces, or all three. would be
carried ont by "task forces" com.