Show m OR W ON ONI I Washington D. D C. C SUBMARINE ANTIDOTE A history making event took place recently in iri the long war against the submarine Official tests were made of the helicopter which despite opposition op position of the navy has been urged by officials of the army and War Var Shipping administration for antisubmarine antisubmarine antisubmarine anti submarine patrol Within a few fey hours after the publication publication pub pub- of a Round Merry-Go-Round story on this subject a group of officials from Washington including highly interested and highly placed officials of the British admiralty British shipping shipping shipping ship ship- ping mission and the RAF stood in amazement on the deck of a tanker offshore while a little airplane with witha a crazy rotary wing on top landed and took off from a deck decks space ace not more than twice the size of the plane itself It was a helicopter piloted pilot pilot- ed by a boyish colonel who reminded remind remind- ed everybody of Charles Lindbergh in his younger days days H. H. H F. F Gregory from Wright Field Dayton Ohio who knows more about helicopters than anybody else in the air force Gregory made 24 landings on the tanker during the two days of f trials He operated under all conceivable I conditions when conditions when the tanker was ridI riding riding rid rid- I ing at anchor when she was running running run run- i ning at 15 knots when she was headed into the wind and when she I I was running with the wind I The War Shipping administration which supplied the tanker had offered offered of of- of-I of to remove the mast to provide a safer landing space But inventor inventor inventor tor scorned that as too easy Accordingly his plane was set set down by Colonel Gregory in the space between the mast and the I deck house with only a foot 14 clearance clearance clear clear- I ance on either side Seeing Far-Seeing Eyes To the British and American shipping shipping shipping ship ship- ping experts whose ships are going to the bottom every day the significance significance significance sig sig- sig- sig of this feat was able They firmly believe the helicopter helicopter helicopter heli heli- copter can be used to supplement the escort vessels for the greater protection of merchant ships in con con- voy It is as too light to carry much striking striking striking ing power of its own except a few rockets but it can fly out ahead of the convoy hover over the sea spot the wolf pack and report by radio to the escort vessels This saves movement of the escort vessels which in present practice have to maneuver constantly around the merchant ships with heavy consumption consumption consumption con con- of fuel oil Moreover 1 the helicopter without firing a shot brings alarm to the prowling submarine and causes the U-boat U to dive Earlier acceptance of the helicopter ter was prevented by the navys navy's bureau bureau bureau bu bu- bu- bu reau of aeronautics which contends that the machine is defenseless against the guns of a submarine The defenders reply that the plane can dart about so crazily that it is too evasive to be easily hit Moreover Moreover More fore over helicopters can be built for each and the loss of a few would not be serious compared with the loss of escort vessels In any case the matter has gone beyond the stage of argument The War Shipping administration is determined to have helicopters and andi i if the navy wont won't come along will make a deal with the coast coastguard coastguard coastguard guard to train pilots and another deal with the war department to place the planes on its ships ARMY AND COAL MINES John L. L Lewis would have got the surprise of his l life e if he could have had a dictaphone recording of the conversation of Secretary of War Stimson and Gen B. B B. B Somervell regarding the use of troops in taking over the coal mines Lewis had expressed public apprehension apprehension apprehension ap ap- ap- ap that the army had a plan to seize the coal mines in case of ofa a strike Undoubtedly subordinate army officers did have such a plan in mind But when Secretary Stimson sat down with Secretary Ickes plus General Somervell and other army officers cs the army expressed vigorous vigor vigor- I ous opinions to the contrary GenI General General Gen Gen- I eral Somervell accused by some of wanting the army to take over all aU civilian activities made this re reo remark r mark The last thing we want is an issue issue is sue of the army against the people Secretary Stimson also expressed pressed relief that Secretary Ickes known as a staunch defender of civil liberty liberty liberty lib lib- lib lib- erty had been selected by the President President President dent to handle the coal crisis He offered Ickes every operation co-operation but expressed the hope that he would not have to use troops CAPITOL CHAFF C. C Freshman Representative Charles La Follette is the only Republican congressman who supported the Presidents President's foreign policies in the thelast thelast thelast last campaign La Follette also has hasa a liberal labor record C. C Radio Operator R. R W. W Dunn who first received the coded message of an armistice November 11 1918 is eager to serve again He has enrolled enrolled en en- rolled roIled as a junior radio operator in Pan American Airways Seattle school preparing for Alaska ice |