Show U. U S. S AVIATION IS DEFENDED CLEVELAND Jan 19 AP-A AP challenge to critics ot of American was thrown out by Major General Mason M. M Patrick chief chiet of the United States air service In an address here Monday night Although he did not mention Colonel William E. E Mitchelll Mitchell former assistant air lr chief Major General PatrIck took note of the acrimonious acrimonious acri discussIon of a year ago and declared that many statements made then were unfounded The fact Is he h declared that at no time In the past five lve years have our planes planes' been any worse than those ot of any other country It Itis Itis is true that we kept on using our war built aircraft but so did all the other We We had to do this to give our desIgners and constructors constructors con con- time time timeto to develop new ideas Today no other country has adopted and standardized a pur pursuit lt plane We Ve did three years years' ago Now under a program adopted by congress we wIll have ave an all air service service ser ser- vice at the end of five years years' of men men planes and 1650 officers General Patrick asserted that civil avIation in the United States compares favorably with that of of any o other r countr country i |