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Show OO GOVERNMENT AIR SERVICE TO BE CONSOLIDATED i WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 Approval of the theory' of a consolidation of government gov-ernment air service under a separate department or commission is contained in the report of a special army board rppointed to consider pending bills. Tho report was transmitted today to Chairman Wadsworth of the senate military committee by Secretary Baker, who disagreed with the board's The board was composed of Major General Menoher, director of army's air service; Major General Coe, chief Ol i oasl artillery; Major General Haan. ( hiel ol the (raining section, general !iaff, and Major General Snow, chief of field artillery. it recommended that congress enact en-act an avia.tiou policy based either on .i iin-yai program wl;h large annual appropriations guaranteed to stimulate commercial aeronautics, or make ap- proprlations for air development by jthe postofflce, war and navy depart ments. If the former policy Is adopted, the li. ril r ninended that a separate d pertinent of aeronautics be created, ii the latter, that a commission under the director of aeronautics reporting di n My to the president, be formed to co-ordinate the work. Secretary Baker disagreed with the proposals both for a separate department depart-ment and a commission as the presl dent was so burdened with important policies that he could not supervise aeronautical development. Should a single agency be created, he said, It should be appointed and controlled by! la board consisting of cabinet members! I whose departments would be affected. Mr. Baker also disapproved the proposal pro-posal for a permanent commissioned' aviation personnel. "The present reported feverish activity ac-tivity for development of 'commercial aeronautics' of certain nations already saddled with enormous debts," the j board's report declared, "is, as a mat-! mat-! ter of fact, nothing more than a new I race for supremacy In armaments. It 111 not the Intention of this board to deny the wisdom of a policy which I will place this nation in the front rank with reqard to commercial aeronautics' or a proper state of defense. It is I thought, however, that this question should bo stripped entirely of its cam- curiae and that the nation at large should be apprised of the real situation situa-tion and tho torms upon which it is to enter this contest." The report saJd wartime air fleets of all countries must be produced af ter war begins, requiring stimulation of commercial aeronautics. "Under present conditions," is said, i "the only effective stimulant is government gov-ernment assistance in large annual n-J n-J proprlatlonB guaranteed for a period of a considerable number of years, until commercial aeronautics t.an stand as a dividend paying business." An annual budget of $300,000,000 for ten years was suggested and tne report re-port added that a single government agency should be responsible for the procurement of all aircraft and of all development work. It is emphatic in declaring against creation of 1 any military air force independent of army or navy control." |