Show Washington Round Marry Aviators Find U. U S. S Type Chute Unsafe By Drew Pearson WEST VEST PALM BEACH Fla FIa- FIa on February 19 the public re relation relations re- re lations lation office a at Camp Mackall Mackall Mackall Mack- Mack all N. N C C. announced that eight paratroopers had drowned Incident incIdent incident in In to a training and flight Jump No further details were released Reason for this sketchy story is the tragic fact that these men and and many oth others rs like them them them- were dragged to a horrible death by drowning because thc they couldn't get free from their parachutes The parachute in use by the U. U S S. air forces has three release release release re re lease points This means that when a man drops drops' to the ground or the surface of the water he has to release the parachute harness at three points And since all releases require two- two handed action if it one land hand and happens happens happens hap hap- pens to be injured or if the flier fumbles a release he cannot cannot can can- not get free at all This explains explains explains ex ex- ex- ex plains why many U. U S. S airmen have been dragged to death by drowning and many others have been killed or seriously injured when a a high wind carries the parachute along the ground dragging the aviator with it It also explains why every American aviator who goes to England immediately throws away his parachute and begs borrows or steals a parachute of the British type which has a single-point single release that can be operated with one hand And it explains why Brigadier General Newt Newton n Longfellow of the U. U S. S Eighth air force in England reported to Washington Washing Washing- ton that anything but a quick release harness is murderous To make this tragedy more ironic the British type of harness harness har liar ness was first developed not in England Englan but by the Irvin Air Chute company of Buffalo N. N Y It was tested in England in 1930 and adopted by the R It RAF A F In 1932 for all aU flying operations By 1935 this type was in use by every air force in the world except the U. U S. S air force The Turks had It the Germans had hadIt hadit hadit it and the Japs had a modification modification modification cation of it But after many years of U. U S. S manufacture the company got discouraged in trying to sell its product of the U. U S. S army anny and the plant was moved to Canada Meantime U. U S S. airmen say With U our equipment we haven't a Chinaman's chance over wa wa- ter The explanation gets down to toan toan toan an Insidious matter of patents and profits Somebody has been able to persuade U. U S. S procurement procurement procure procure- ment officials in some mysterious mysterious mysterious rious way to insist on the more cumbersome American parachute parachute parachute para para- I chute harness rather than the safer British type The British patent originally developed in Buffalo Is available to the U. U S. S army anny at any time but someone insisted on continued use of the American patent ranking High-ranking army and many other officials are burned up over the matter matterand matterand matterand and are now investigating At long last the army is undertaking undertaking undertaking un un- un- un a thorough overhauling overhauling overhauling overhaul overhaul- ing of military intelligence The study began shortly after re recent recent recent re- re cent disclosures in this column of intelligence inefficiency and the fact that has been overstaffed overstaffed overstaffed over over- staffed with picked from the society directory durIng during during dur dur- ing the first days before and after fter Pearl Harb Harbor r. r The Intelligence study is under under under un un- un- un der Assistant Secretary of or War Jack McCloy Major General Clayton L. L Bissell present head of G 2 and by George Schwarz- Schwarz alder of ot the budget bureau Meanwhile another intelligence intelligence intelli intelli- gence problem bears investigation tion namely A 2 or air intelli intelli- gence This vitally important branch of the air force has suffered suffered suffered suf suf- even more manhandling and turnovers of top executives than G 2 The office is less than 2 years old Yet in hi that short rt space of time air intelligence has had six different chiefs They have trekked in and out of or the job so EO quickly that none has had time to learn much about it Here is the roll ron call cam Brigadier General Martin S. S Br Brigadier General Robert Robert Robert Rob Rob- ert I L. L Walsh Brigadier r General H Hume me p Peabody B Brigadier G General General Gen Gen- ri- ri eral Edgar Major General Clayton ClayLon Bissell and BrIgadier General Thomas D. D White who is still on the j job bLast b. b Last three of ot the above generals generals generals gener gener- als have held office within the past year which indicates how rapidly the skids work The scrap to elect a senate G GOP 0 P leader to succeed the late Charles L. L McNary has developed developed developed devel devel- international a and n d Postwar postwar postwar post Post- post post- war ramifications ns Leading contenders contenders contenders con con- tenders for McNary's mantle are Arthur of ot Michigan supported by most of the old-guard old G GO GOP 0 P IsolationIst Isolationists isolationists isola Isola- and Styles Bridges of New Hampshire hitting hard young champion of ot Roosevelt's foreign policies However if the G GOP Gap 0 P o 0 old I 1 d guard has its way the election of ot a new leader will be postponed postponed postponed post post- until after the thc November election to avoid a fight endangering endangering endangering gering Republican unity Second Second Sec See ond because any Republican president elected in November sh should uld have some voice in the election of ot the senate leader J |