Evening star., 1947-05-18

WhNNS OENh1oho - 1lCIlll
L. Martin, Baltimore plane
manufacturer, at a Senate
subcommittee hearing yester-
day when he and other pro-
ducers warned something
must be done to preserve
American air power.
-AP Photo.
war production with emphasis or
1ong-range types of military planes
He pointed out that England Il
subsidizing long range plan TO,
development and production o1
commercial jet transports as well as
military types.
Witnesses expressed the view that
the United States is slipping back
to second or perhaps third place as
an air power. They held our pro-
duction of some 1880 military planes
last year was surpassed in quality
by the British and quantity at least
by the Russians.
The American production figure
is less than half that recommended
by the Air Co-ordinating Commit
tee as a minimum in time of
established peace, and a fourth of
that asked if the world remains un-
settled
Asked for suggestions, the manu-
facturers pointed out that the Air
Coordinating Committees plan,
although almost two years old and
outmoded, is still better than no
plan at all.
Relief from Uncertainty Urged.
Another suggestion was that Con-
gress pay more heed to the procure
ment needs as stated by the military
chiefs.
There was unanimous demand,
however, for relief from the year to
year uncertainty of what Congress
will do with military budgets like
those now pending. Under our
present setup, it was said, the Army
and Navy cannot possibly tell the
procedures of their needs more than
two years in advance, even in
general way This was compared
with Bfitain's development plans
laid out at least five years in ad-
vance.
Mr.. Martin expressed the view
that Britain is more than two years
aheadsof us in the development of
Jet engines and aircraft, and that
the Nazis at close of the war were
at leastsas far along as we are now
in jet power plants and supersonic
research.
The veteran Baltimore manufac-
turer emphasized that the air forces.
like the Navy, must maintain
strength in being because of the in
creasing size and complexity of their
vessels of the air." Such sky war
ships, he said, cannot be produced
except by years of effort of highly
skilled development and production
organizations.
Cost of Work Scars.
1t was pointed out that the first
experimental contract on the B-29
was let almost 10 years before the
plane was ready for the war on
Japan, and that similar types require
from four to six years between blue
print and production stages. The
cost of this work has multiplied 20
times since World War I, and rep
resents the difference between a
warship of the air and the types
then current.
American industry, it was said,
cannot possibly finance unaided the
great design and development cost
Of new types of jet propelled trans
ports like those being built by the
British.
Mr.. Martin testified:
American air power is declining
rapidly. AS it declines, this country
loses its guarantee of national secu-
rity and perhaps even its hope Of
peace.
National defense needs have ad-
vanced to a supertechnical stage
which makes it impractical and un-
realistic, If not impossible. to carry
out the Government policy of a
skilled peacetime military organiza-