Our Own Conursronnnr.
San Francisco, Feb. 10.
When American flyers circled the globe last summer, it was expected that one of the results in this country would be an immediate stimulation of commercial aviation. But the aftermath of that light has not by any means been an awakening of America (unless it is on the Pacific Coast) to the truth that national defence ix no defence at all unless aircraft efficiency is assured, nor to the fact that commercial aircraft can be run at a profit. The
significant fact of Japan's air armatermath principally in the ment being systematically developed At the present time a good deal mud-slinging is taking place in connexion.with army and navy officials. It is claimed that the United States has not enough air strength to serve properly a single Jarmy corps—"actually," declares one Jauthority, "we cannot "place 300 well-equipped army planes on a dattlefront to-day, while France has 3000, with a reserve of 2000 more. Ttaly has 2000; Great Britain can throw 1000 into the breach of national defence, while the German-
Russian air organizations, with their factories in Russian territory, can muster at least 1200 planes."
Peare Time Requirements This may or not be an exaggera-m, but in certain circles the appalling ineficieney of air defence is feausing extreme concern. Air-Service officers estimate that peneetime squadrons of the United States Army require 2000 plane? of fall types—pursuit. bombing, scout-and. special "service "aircraft. Untest funds are forthcoming, 1926 will find the army air service with Jess than ight per cent. of the planes needled. The authority have quoted "above estimates. that "by: the wildest stretch of image ation, we cannot credit. our" ait forees' with more than 15_per cent, fof the present requirement So long as America has no airleratt industry. and. she has, practi-ally none, s0 long will she have no faireratt, "Tt is" probable that America iz behind even Germany in this respect, for it is claimed that single German factory in Moscow employs move mechanics than all America's aircraft factories combined. Tt is just over 21 years alo that the Wright brothers claimed to be the first to fly in a heavier-than-air machine, but it cannot be said si watching other nat climax' of human achievement, hile her own aircraft industry haz Starved and shrank to insignificant size. From the present furore, it transpires that she has denied her Jarmy" and navy" the essential airjeraft units with which to outmate the national defence. civil aviation the largest single aeronautic. enterprise operated by the U.S. Post Office lin the 24 hours service between San Franei id New York, The planes leave on time and rarely ave Tate, delivering the mails in either direction in 36 hours—despite rain, snow or darkness, In very great deal being done with the plane in the uses mentioned above, but 0. far there has been a marked timidity among business people to enter jcommereis! aviation. Congress, taking ite pulse from the public, has done little to foster and assist the development of air navigation. When one considers how rapidly aviation, when properly. organized, gains a hold on the general public thas in Great Britain—he can readily see what a future Ties before American enterprise of to-day. But bankrupt Burope is far ahead of prosperous America in flying raft, for European use, operating. on cover more than 22,000 They reach from the Brit ich Teles to Cairo, Constantinople Mosca, Helsingfors, Stockholm, and Copenhagen, and the latest news to reach here is that a man concern hus already signed a contract with the Russian-Japanese authorities to ran a fine from Leningrad to Tokyot The Politieul Aspect There can he no doubt that much misrepresentation ix deliberately carried out to serve the political mele of ress. But,—after making allowance for the usual exlaggerations, there is every reason to believe that the United States is worse equipped with aircraft for effective defence than any nation the face of the earth. Japan's activity in aircraft building is supply an excellent "gag" for political firebrands on the Pacific Coast, and we may expect to sec a_ lively scandal arise out of official quiries now being conducted the actual position in regard to the nation's power in air defence Happy is the nation whose navy is possessed of a preponderance of air Power; similarly, worse than useless is the navy deficient in air pow-for when facing one adequately supplied. These ard the watchwords f the Pacific Coast, where people imagine that they sve arising like a pillar of smoke, a serious Paci problem during the next two years If America speeds up her aircraft building it will be as a result of the agitation on this Coast, which sees
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.