Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1943-05-28
WNU Service, Union Trust Building,
WASHINGTON, D. C.

WNU Service, Union Trust Building,
Washington, d. C.
AS the tempo of American activity
on the foreign fronts moves with an
accelerated beat, it is pleasing to
note that lot of red tape in Wash
ington is being rolled up and chucked
into official Wastebaskets. One ex-
ample is what the air corps is trying
to do to utilize every ounce of hui
man and material resource that is
available.
When war comes, there is always
a sharp cross current of human
emotions-the good old one of self
preservation, and the equally old
and much better one, from the stand
point of the nation, of patriotism.
And, for opposite reasons but with
the same result, both meet with OBJ
stacles. Many injustices occur in the
selection of men for military serv-
ice. Many ardent and valuable men
are stopped from rendering the serv-
ice of which they are capable and
which they are anxious to furnish.
Red tape is the answer. But red
tape is bound to tangle any hercu-
lean effort when a peaceful nation
turns into belligerent.
Drab Duties
The latest step in removing the
red tape that was holding back a
lot of valuable human power was
the absorption of the Civil Air Pa
troll by the air corps. AS this is
written, the decision is being made
as to which administrative group
will take over this body of patriotic
fiers who have been furnishing their
own planes and their own services,
unsung and unhonored. Most of
their duties have been drab, and in
many cases, stultifying because of
their indefinite, quasi-military status.
They are not a part of the air corps.
Another important step forward is
also under way which will bring that
group of unselfish young men into
active service after months of
woodworking waiting-I refer to
the Civilian Pilot trainees, most of
whom are now sure of active duty
as instructors or flying cadets. They,
too, have worked without compensa-
ton other than subsistence, and have
sacrificed time, earning capacity
and opportunity to continue their
normal civilian careers. They are
now being gradually absorbed into
the air corps, too.
Few people in the country outside
of the families of the members are
familiar with either the Civil Air
Patrol, the student pilots of the War
Training program or even that other
group of million and half volun-
teers who make up the aircraft
warning service.
The Civil Air Patrol received some
publicity for its important part in
offshore duty in the campaign which
stopped the submarine activities off
the eastern coast of the United
States. These men were pilots who
owned their own planes, took their
special training and received only
gasoline and small fee for depre-
citation while on active duty.
Spoilers for Tough Guys
They are vital link in that chain
of air and surface guardians who
watched our waters from Maine to
Florida. They could spot a sub,
Immediately report it to the nearest
bomber OF fast coast guard or
naval vessel. Some of the civilian
planes were equipped with light
bombs but they were not able to
make much use of them because
their planes were slow and a sub on
the surface could spot them as quick
ly as they could spot the sub and
crash dive. That can be done in
seven or eight minutes and since
visibility may extend Is miles, the
sub could hit bottom before the pilot
could get over his target. Their
chief function was to play bird-dog
for the tough guys" carrying heav-
Ter depth bombs.
Civil Air Patrol did invaluable but
less romantic service in carrying
vital machine parts between facto-
ries. 1t is now possible that some
of these men and women in the in
terror of the country who have been
making uninteresting overland flights
from here to there may get Whit
of sea air., too. In any case, the
red tape between them and the air
command has been severed.
If not technically, at least prac-
tically, they're in the army now"
AS to the boys in the opt war
training program, who have been
warming benches and waiting at
nothing per diem, bill in congress