Show NAVY j BACK AVIATION OFFICERS VIE VIEW s. s SL L. L Chamber Speaker Speak Speak- er Says Assaults Are Unwarranted It lt Is regrettable and unwarranted ed that we should be be struck with violent assault when were bowed In grief for forthe the toss lOss of comrades com corn rades declared Lieutenant Commander Commander Com Corn mander J. J T. T Alexander In addressIng addressIng addressing address- address Ing the chamber of commerce on The Wings of the Fleet at the weekly membership luncheon Wed Wed- Lieutenant nt Commander Alexander defended the naval aviation policy In regard to Its methods of de de- de Whether or not this attack on the navy is swayed by personal ambition backed by Insidious insidious insidious ous poll political support as loyal AmerIcan American American Amer Amer- ican citizens you must exact ot of your I representatives that poll politics tics b be kept from the Investigation and from your national defense he said In the controversy and debate surely to arise from those sensational sensa ensa- charges made against responsible responsible responsible sible officers of the government I ask you in all fairness to be mindful mindful mind mind- 1 ful of these facts le Ie First that the navy from stem to stern is for aviation aviation aviation avia avia- tion per cent and welcomes an Impartial investigation Second Our efforts toward development of naval aviation to Its maximum as asa asa asa a weapon In national defense of ot our dur ur shore line Une and our liberties of ot trade ha have ve already surpassed the efforts of any other nation T No step has been Impeded by lack of cooperation cooperation co op with other government de departments departments de- de PHYSICAL LAWS PREVAIL That you may have a clearer conception of the issues pending let me review several facts facts' to fix fb the naval attitude It must be recognized recognized recognized rec rec- that aircraft operation is limited by physical laws which have not been overcome Airplanes will continue to crash when those limits I are reached whether under administration adminis adminis- by naval or air ministry dl- dl The Th The airplanes airplane's effective bombing radius of action In Jn its present present present pres pres- ent stage of development nt is restricted restrict restrIct- ed to about miles mUes The proposition that our country country country coun coun- try can be defended only by aircraft air air- craft Is craft Is born of ignorance not only of what constitutes our nation as a world power but Ignorance of the navy itself We Ve do not advocate battleships that we may strut their decks We Ve request aircraft submarInes submarines submarines sub sub- marines cruisers as well and in the proportion to make your fleet capable capable capable cap cap- able of maintaining our position as asa asa a world p power The navy believes that the airplane airplane airplane air air- plane Is an essential naval auxiliary and that without It our forces cannot cannot cannot can can- not be successful Every new weapon weapon weapon wea wea- pon which has been developed has been boomed as the conqueror o ot of the battleship When the time comes conies to discard our Inch 16 guns on our heavily ar armored armored armored ar- ar mored ships and to install aircraft bombers you can rest assured that your our naval authorities will recommend recommend recommend mend this SEES SURRENDER Scrapping of the navy and de depending depending depending de- de pending on a cloud of airplanes as the basis of ot our national defense will mean the surrender of sea power and the extinction of our merchant marine now v some 1700 1701 ships operating on miles o ot of trade routes and carrying yearly two billion bUlion dollars' dollars w worth rth of American Amer Amer- ican icar goods Our national life can be choked our industries paralyzed and our very existence hazarded by byan byan byan an enterprising fleet leet operating just Jus out of range of action of coast de defense defense defense de- de aircraft but on the sea lanes of our trade routes Motion pictures s of naval aviation aviation avia- avia tion development and its relation to the battleships were exhibited and explained by the naval officer United States States' l Marshal J. J Ray RayWard RayWard RayWard Ward chairman bf of the military af affairs affairs at- at fairs committee was wa's ss s's chairman I |