Evening star., 1942-09-10
Air Power Is Essential
ingredient Of Victory,
Says Gen. George
Randolph, in Forum,
Cites Need of Speeding
Pilot Training

without air power, victory over
the Axis will be impossible, Maj.
Gen. Harold L. George, command
ing general of the Army Air Trans
port Command, declared here last.
night In the National Radio Forum
broadcast on Station WMAL and
the Blue Network.
Gen. George participated in the
weekly forum along with Represent
ative Randolph, Democrat, of West
Virginia, who warned of a shortage
of air pilots "of all types"
Military power today consists of
a trinity, Gen. George said-land
power, sea power and air power. "In
the war which we are now engaged,
all three working in harmony are
essential for victory" he said, add
ing:
f'I might state, and I am sure no
body will disagree with me, that
without air power victory would be
impossible"
Calling for a fuller utilization of
the Civil Aeronautics Administra-
ton pilot training program as a
means of supplying the armed
forces with more fighting pilots,
Mr.. Randolph asserted that hun
dreds of thousands of dollars worth
of training equipment lies idle fol-
lowing the Army's decision not to
take advantage of these facilities.
Lacked Training Facilities.
The Army decided to train its own
combat pilots, even though 1t did
not have the facilities, Mr.. Ran
dolph declared.
Meanwhile, as our air battles
are commencing on large scale
over wide front, requirements are
becoming necessary and vast
number of pilots will be needed"
he asserted. He reminded his au-
dience that last June the situation
was so bad that he called for
congressional investigation.
He said he was assured at that
time that plans were afoot to reme-
dy the situation. and that civilian
flying schools would be used to
train pilots.
But here it is September, three
months later, and the situation has
not bettered one whit. 1t has be-
come worse. ." I ask in all Sc
riousness of those men who are
charged with providing air power
for this country-what is the
answer"
Mr.. Randolph then cited an ar
ticle in the current issue of an
aviation trade paper which claimed
that the pilot training facilities of
CAA are running at only Is per
cent capacity. The speaker quoted
the journal as saying that the pro-
gram could train 10000 men an
nually, while at present it is turn
ing out but $4,000 pilots.
Sees Plane Era Ahead.
Turning to a discussion of bill
he has introduced in Congress which
would provide a division of aviation
education In the United States Of
flee of Education, Mr. Randolph de-
clared:
THE world is changing under the
influence of the airplane. 1t doesn't
take second sight to know that the
next few decades will be dominated
by the airplane as recent decades
have been by the automobile.
Therefore, every school child, boy
or girl, should know the why and
wherefore in order to have a clear
understanding of his or her en-
vironment and the major forces
shaping it.
1.-THE chances are that the ma
jority of the rising generation
eventually will fly, but even those
who do not will have to know about
it since it is surely guiding our des-
TIMES, not only now, but after the
war"
He then urged that school lead
ers of America who have not yet
provided for aviation training do
so without delay"
Gen. Georges remarks on air
power winning the war came dur
ing question and answer period
conducted by Announcer Bryson
Rash. In answer to another ques-
ton, the head of the transport COM
mand said the command today is
larger than the entire Army Air
Force was just a year ago.
In his prepared address, Gen.
George stressed that the war will
not end until three things have
happened:
One, the philosophy of Naziism na.
been destroyed; two, American citi-