Washington, July 1.
In the largest peacetime expendi-lure for such a branch of its fighting forces the War Department today placed orders for 98 aeroplanes, the most modern motors and aircraft equipment, costing U.Š$14433,197, after revealing completion of secret "Trans-Continental sub-stratosphere flight by a giant Army "flying fortress,"
Thirteen of the new. planes will be Boeing "flying fortress" bombers, which will bring the total of such craft possessed by the United States to more than fifty. The other planes comprise 78 Douglas bombers and seven Vultee attacking speedsters, This announcement followed the statement by Mr. Louis Johnson, acting Secretary of War, that the United States was planning to increase her air force and make it equal to, if not better than, the air fleets of other Powers,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.