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Show 1HSE I FLEET FOR THE ITEMS Council of Defense Proposes Pro-poses an Appropriation of $600,000,000 for Construction Con-struction of Machines. AERO CLUB WOULD BUILD MANY MORE Allan R. Hawley Insists the Country Should Have 100,-000 100,-000 Aeroplanes and Thousands of Aviators. By International News Service. WASHINGTON, Juno 21. A bil-lion-dolhir air fleet! One hundred thousand aeroplanes! From IOjOUO to 20,00U trained aviators. avia-tors. These three things are the great essentials es-sentials by which the United States can furnish an air fleet "to blind the eyes of the German army," according to Allan R. Hawley, president of the Aero club of America. Mr. Hawley appeared today before the sub-committee of the house military mili-tary affairs committee, at the first hearing of witnesses on the Hulbert-Sheppard Hulbert-Sheppard bill to create a department of aeronautics. Me declared that the administration's ad-ministration's proposal to expend $000,-01)0,000 $000,-01)0,000 in placing American aeronautics aeronau-tics on a war footing would be far too inadequate. America will be compelled to "do its bit" by supplying not less than 100,-OOo 100,-OOo aeroplanes' and from 10,000 to 20,-000 20,-000 trained aviators. Amplifying the testimony of Kear Admiral Peary and other distinguished aerial experts, Mr. Hawley told the sub-committee that the United States at this time has its supreme opportunity to render immediate imme-diate service on the western front and that its contribution to the strength of the allies in the air would greatly outweigh out-weigh the results that might be achieved by send ing an army of 100,-000 100,-000 men or more to the front later on. Delay Disastrous. "The present id the time to weigh the scales against German v by making ( the allied air forces absolutely su-"-vcme," Mr. Hawley paid. "Delay, will disastrous. We should move, and move quickly. It we are to strike successfully suc-cessfully at the enemy's weakest point. " T. favor the training of all our aviators avia-tors in this country. This, of course, should be done in t lie shortest possible possi-ble space of time." Great Britain is now producing 4000 aeroplanes a month, and Franci almost as great a number, but the need for the machines is' greater than the factories of the allies can meet, Mr. Hawley stated. stat-ed. . He asserted that Great Britain, with its tremendous air service, is planning to spend $575,000,000 this year for aeronautics, anl that the personnel per-sonnel of the British air service, now numbering 500,00(1 men, will be increased in-creased 50 per cent or more. Should Avoid Mistakes. "There are even more reasons for creating a department of aeronautics in the United States, the head of which shall be a secretary in the president's cabinet, than there were for establishing establish-ing the British and French air ministries." minis-tries." Mr. Hawley said. "We should avoid the grave mistakes made by Oreat Britain and France in the early davs of the war. Tjjere was conflict between the military and naval forces over air plans. "It, is unwise to permit the direction direc-tion of aviation projects to remain in the hands of the war and navy departments. depart-ments. Both branches of the service already are overwhelmed with work, and neither has the office facilities or personnel required for the administration administra-tion of an adequate air service." What mgiht remain of tho 100,000 airplanes when peace is restored could be utilized for commercial purposes, he said. A French government commission commis-sion is now making plans for such use. Makes Prediction. Mr. Hawley predicted that the dav of transatlantic air lines was at hand. "We are now manufacturing air cruisers capable of crossing tho Atlantic, Atlan-tic, and have both the pilots and the instruments needed for piloting them," he said. Henry Woodhouse of New York, member of the board of governors of the Aero Club of America, an authority on aeronautics since the first successful success-ful flight of the Wright brothers, stated stat-ed that the war will be won bv the side having predominance in air lighting light-ing strength. Dr. Joseph A. Steinmctz, president of the Aero Club of Pennsylvania, another an-other witness who supported the plan for a separate department for aerial construction, said that the United States should so organize its industrial forces that it might produce training machines ami battle machines at the rate of 50,000 a year. The aeroplane is the best antidote for the submarine, Souator Weeks of Massachusetts declared in a statement issued today, supporting the administration's adminis-tration's plan for a mammoth air fleet. Indorsed by Wilson. WASHINGTON, June 21. Approval has been given the defense council's aircraft bill by President Wilson and it will bo introduced in congress early next week. It will provide an initial appropriation of $1500,00 0,00 0, and the programme calls for construction within with-in a year of between 25,000 and 30,000 airplanes. 1 The present authorization for . nine training camps would he extended by the measure to include twenty-four, each to be established at a cost of about $1,000,000. Flying instructions also would be extended to many other technical and engineering schools. |