Evening star., 1942-02-15

section across the Potomac River on the
Virginia side. Seated on the leading
ledge Of the lower wing, he was numbed
from the cold and nearly exhausted from
fighting the gusty wind before he got
back to College Park. He had to be
taken to the hospital for treatment be-
fore he could make out his report. But
he had proved that missions could be
accomplished under far from ideal
weather conditions
The closest call Of his flying career
came about this time while he was
on q Photographic fight at Fort Riley.
Kans., in an early type Wright pusher
bi-plane. The type was abandoned
shortly afterward because of its tendency
to go into . power dive without any
provocation or warning. Most Of the
many air fields built during the first
World War were named for flyers killed
in it. His plane proved true to type and
he spent few Of the most breathless
moments Of his life headed straight
for the ground.
To this day, he is not quite sure just
how he pulled 1t out Of that dive; it
was the only case Of the kind that did
not end fatally. But just as 1t got down
about to the level Of the tree tops, the
plane miraculously flattened out and
glded to safe landing. As he sat
waiting for his pulse to get back to
normal and wiping the cold perspiration
from his brow, his passenger, Col. A.
l.. P. Sands who had been so engrossed
in taking a picture that he did not
realize that the wings OF their plane
had just brushed the pearly gates,
turned to him with a request for q
repeat performance that left him speech
less.
The General Keeps Flying
Gen. Arnold was about ready to give
up flying then and there, but he soon
changed his mind. He was at it again
next day and has been ever since. He
still enjoys flying and averages between
300 and 400 hours year in the air
despite the demands Of his office assign
ment, which he does not prefer but
accepts because it is part of his job.
He has always been regarded as an
excellent pilot and takes his regular turn
at the controls, although Army regula-
tions require younger pilot to take of
and land the plane. To enable him to
make frequent field trips, his plane is
fltted up as a combination office, radio
station and hunting lodge There is q
small range for making coffee or warm
ing food, and bedding rolls are carried
in case Of emergency. While not at the
controls. he works at his desk, keeping
In constant touch with affairs In his
ONCE by radio.
From long practice, he an sleep al
most as well In a reclining chair as In
bed at home. The usual Grew" includes
his aides, Col Horace w. Shelmire. It.
Col. Eugene H. Beebe, his pilot; Master
Sergt. Robert Meade, radio operator, and
the engineer, Master Sergt. Henry Pu-
zensh. Others accompany him on oc-
casions
Only his prodigious physical energy
and remarkable health enable him to
maintain the schedule in Washington
that has been increasingly demanding as
the air force program has jumped from
goal Of 2.300 planes to $500, to so 900
to $4,000. He is at his desk long before
the office force. usually a little after 7
O'Clock so that he can have few undis-
turbed moments before the daily routine
Of conferences begins
Before Pearl Harbor, he saw any.
where from 20 to 40 visitors a day. but
has had to cut that down some. His
mind works at high speed continuously
and he has little patience with subordi-
mates whose minds do not work the same
way. He has too much nervous energy
to sit at desk easily, or for long at a
time, but is not a pencil -tapper or a
PAGER.
His naturally pleasant disposition sell
dom wears thin, although it has been
known to at the fag end of long hard
day. But never for long He makes de-
cisions readily and is at his best in sit
uations such as the present one, where
they must be acted upon Immediately
and red tape can be cut to fit later.
His hobbies, although he has little time
for them now, are golf and "scribbling. ''
which were done in collaboration with
Brig. Gen. Ira C. Eaker, and used to write
all his speeches and the articles appear
ing under his by-line. Now, unless 1t Is
something special, he has time only to
take over the subject with ghost" and
correct or re-write a rough draft gotten
up for him.
al -
low 80s. He, plays frequently with Gen.
Malin Craig, former Army Chief of Staff.
During the intermission between the con-
quest OF Poland and the fall of France, he
and oother Air Corps officers were ribbed
considerably by golfers in the ground
branches, who used to ask Saturday after
Saturday when the touted German air
force was going to take over the western
front Finally, after several weeks of good
natured silence, he delivered a locker
room critique. With the aid of some clubs,
bags. shoes, socks and empty coffee cups,
he laid out a rough map of the western
front on the floor and to his assembled
tormentors delivered a brief lecture on
how the Germans would proceed. With
some notifications, 1t happened that
way. Since then the Saturday afternoon
question has gotten to be whether he be-
lieves the Army will ever be strong
enough to declare its independence from
the Air Forces.
Overconfidence is not one of Gen.
Arnold's faults. To class graduating
from the Air Corps Tactical School when
the expansion program first started. he
said:
For long time the terms air power