U. S. WEAK IN AERONAUTICS

Godfrey Lowell Cabot '82, now engaged in starting an aeronautical naval reserve in the First Naval District, in an interview yesterday with a CRIMSON reporter told of some of the problems that now confront the formation of a strong aeronautical force in the United States and of the steps being taken to solve them.

"The two links in national defence in which the United States is most deficient relative to the other belligerents in the world war," said Mr. Cabot, "are aerial defence and field artillery.

"With regard to aerial defence, or to speak more correctly, the aeronautical branch of the military service, we have at present about 30 competent naval fliers and about 70 competent army fliers. When I use the word competent, I mean men who might reasonably be employed for long distance scouting and such other branches of military service in the air as have up till now been taught or practised on this continent.

"Of course we have no skilled air fighters, for air fighting, like every other art, can only be acquired by practice and there has been no air fighting by any aeronauts or aviators in the United States military service so far.

Our Aviators Few But Efficient.

"However, our 100 aviators more or less are probably about as competent as the 1,500 French aviators with which France began this war. After two and three-quarters years' of this world war which has been the greatest object lesson in the value of air fighting that could well be conceived of, we have today about one-fiftieth of the number of aviators that we ought to have and that we easily might have had, if sufficient attention had been given to the matter and if sufficient money had been asked for by the army and navy.

"Whatever sins of omission may in the past have been laid at the door of Congress, since the beginning of this war Congress has seen fit to give all that the administration has asked for national defence and much more than the administration has asked for air defence. Credit is due to the Aero Club of America, led by its president, Mr. Allen R. Hawley, Rear Admiral Peary, Mr. Henry A. Wisenwood, Mr. Woodhouse, Mr. Augustus H. Post, and others, in a very vigorous proproganda for greater preparedness in the air.

"One cause that has contributed very much to our backwardness in aeronautics is the fact that not a single officer in the navy above the rank of lieutenant-commander has ever controlled a flying machine in the air even as a pupil, and a similar condition exists in the army.

"In Germany, France and England the exigencies of war have compelled the consolidation of aeronautics under a separate department controlled by an air minister, and if we are to accomplish any results commensurate with theirs or worthy of this great nation, we shall find it necessary to follow their example. The air minister in England, and I believe in the other two nations named, has charge of the material, construction and supplies for the aeronautical branch, and the training of aviators generally. The machines are then delivered respectively to the Admiralty and to the army, who furnish the personnel and conduct the actual military operations each in its separate sphere. I join my voice to that of Admiral Peary and others for the adoption of this plan and the speedy and serious development on a respectable scale of an aeronautical military force."