The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-08-20
4.
~M@hAshA
National and International Problems
Inseparable from Local Welfare


idea of using cargo airplanes to sup
plant water-borne transport. 1t has
long been urged by such authorities on
the strength and the adaptibility of
airpower as Major de Seversky. And
Hitler himself has made excellent use
of the cargo plane. In the Crete cam
paign, for instance, the British had
in seapower. But the Ger
mans took to the air, and used their
air freighterS to bring in men, ma
terials and supplies. The result was
that British sea superiority proved to
be of almost no Importance. The Brit
iSh men-of-war dominated the sea lanes
but they could do nothing to the Nazi
air transports which flew safely by
overhead.
What is new is the magnitude of the
plan recently proposed by Henry J..
Kaiser, and supported by number of
the principal builders of aircraft. The
German planes so far used have been
relatively small-Mr. Kaiser envisages
air freighters of 200 to 500 tons The
German planes, due to the Reich's
position, have not had to
have any great range-Mr. Kaiser en-
visages freighters which can cross the
seas and still have capacity for tre-
mendOuS amounts of cargo. The Ger
man planes, it is believed, were and are
being produced slowly and in relatively
small numbers-Mr Kaiser talks of
building planes of vast size under
mass-production system which will
turn them out almost as quickly as
Detroit assembly lines used to turn out
motor cars.
No one can deny that the cargo plane
idea, if it is workable, will prove at
least partial solution to the most
difficult problem the United Nations
face. SO far as production for war is
this country has generally
realized the arsenal of democracy"
goal laid down by the President. But
getting that production to the far-fung
battlefronts of this global war is
very different matter. The hard truth
is that the Axis is sinking more ships
than the United Nations can replace
and it is sinking with them an enOr-
nous amount of vital supplies. The
Navy has not been able to solve the
problem. And some authorities are con-
vinced that it is basically insoluble-
that terrible losses will continue and
perhaps mount, unless and until the
freighters leave the water and take to
tie skies.
Even the biggest cargo planes so far
built cannot carry a great deal in one
trip. But, over period of time, their
speed will make up for that lack. 1t
boats of the 70-ton size are equal to
a 10,SOO-ton Liberty ship in carrying
capacity. An ordinary freighter can
make only three round trips to and
from Australia in the course of year
and ii cargo plane can make 26 A
cargo plane might make 20 or more
round trips carrying freight and troops
to England.
Skeptics have said that Mr.. Kaisers
plan is Impractical and visiOnary-that
it is impossible to build cargo planes
on a s-production basis in ship
yards. But Mr. Kaiser and other
builders have cOnfounded skeptics be-
fore this on many occasions. According
to him, both his own yards and others
of similar type are adequately
equipped to build the planes. He has
said also that a plant could be built
quickly to supply necessary materials
without detracting from other essen
tion phases of the war effort. These
planes would require, by comparison
with ships, Il fairly small amount of
Steel-and steel is one of the ma jOr
bottlenecks of the present time The
steel mills have done fine job in
stepping up capacity to the utmost
but they simply haven't been able to
turn out enough.
So far as the practicality of the
planes themselves is concerned, there
seems to be little question. The gigantic
flying boat MARS" built as an expert
ment by the Glenn Martin Company,
has proved completely successful i'm its
trials. The ArnyS Bio, largest land
plane ever built, has also proved its
worth. And far bigger planes still are
now on the drawing boards of the de
SigncrS.
The advocates of cargo planes also
say that they would be extremely diff
cut to intercept and destroy Their
range and speed would be so great that
they could constantly change their
routes. When approaching their deSti
nations, Allied lighters could be sent
ont to screen them and bring them in.
Due To the tim" element alone, mer-
chant ships must closely follow GER
tam definite and prescribed routes
and they must, at the end of their
journeys, converge on ports which are
known to the enemy. The planes, in
brief, would be infinitely more flexible
Steps are being taken to get the
Kaiser program started. The skeptics
are waiting and watching with their
fingers crossed-while the plans back.
ers seem to have no doubts at all. In.
side year, the country should know
which side Is right.
Il n