Evening Star Newspaper, January 25, 1942, Page 30

THE SUNDAY STAR, America Graduates First R. A. F. Cadets By Ben H. Pearse. The - first Royal Air Force cadets, who arrived here seven months ago as “guests” of their Army Air Force “cousins,” will soon be starting the long voyage back to the front for a long- awaited go at Jerry. For some the front will be home, Eng- land. For others, the Near East, Libya. Doubtless some may find the “front” in the Far East, Malaya or the East Indies. For wherever there is a front, R. A. F. fiyers will be needed to give battle to Jerry and his Itallan and Japanese satellites. When they arrived last June, a pamphlst prepared by a thoughtful Air Ministry eeminded them they were “guests” in a land still divided on the war question. They were advised to think' of Americans as “distant cous- ins” whom they did not know well but would like to know better. Since then the conflict has spread to the remotest corner of the globe. First Russia, then the United States was drawn in. The cousins who came a# guesta depart as brothers-in-arms. They came because there simply was not enough room in England to train them. Then, too, the weather and con- stant bombing attacks cut down flying time. And so, after a few weeks of ground school training, they were packed off to Montreal and there assigned to various civilian and Army flying schools throughout the South, where they en- countered such Americana as water- melons, hot dogs and soda pop and wrestled with the puzzling American accent of which the Air Ministry pam- phlet had made no mention. With commendable foresight and an eye to morale, their Army hosts did everything possible to make them feel at home. They were permitted to retain the long, easy stride, the shoulder-high swing of the arms characteristic of the British Tommy on the march. Regula- tions were abridged to permit mus- taches. British cooking and food, games and even phonograph records were im- ported to simulate the home atmosphere. But the whole illusion, so carefully fos- tered, was dispelled all at once by the size of their first serving of butter. Back home, butter was measured by the ounce. Here there was all one wanted for the asking. Home wasn't like this. After a while they got used to the abundance of butter and eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables. They learned by sometimes painful experience how many bottles of soda pop could safely be ab- sorbed by the human system under the hot midsummer sun. They learned to call petrol gasoline, and finally, to get the hang of the American accent that made familiar words sound so strange. It was well they did, because they were soon up to their collective necks in one of the most intensive training courses ever designed by the Army. ‘The new environment had its effect at first. The British cadets took from two to four hours longer to solo than the American student fiyers. They lacked a certain mechanical facility that was almost second nature to the American cadets. Perhaps it was because 90 per cent of the British trainees had never driven a car. They did not have the same sense of mastery of the machine that makes for self-confidence. Once it had been acquired during their initial training period, however, they progressed rapidly. Their regords for the primary and advanced flying training show little if any difference from those of their American “hosts.” As a group, they were both younger and older than our Army and Navy student pilots, ranging in age from 18 to 30. But for all the disparity in ages, in the waiks of life from which they came and the schooling they had received, “The character of the Second World War, in which air power is-so clearly a deciding factor, necessitated an enormous expansion of the Royal Air Force. As facilities in the British Isles were limited by physical and practical con- siderations, training establishments were set up, first in Canada and later in Australia, New Zealand, Rhodesia and elsewhere, until the program for pro- ducing crews for the pianes being turned out in ever-increasing numbers became one truly embracing the whole British Empire. “The arrangements for extending the program to the United States, launched with the arrival of the first group of flying students last June, marked @ new phase in its development. The Royal Air Force, both through the. llnltzd‘ States Army Air Forces and private contractors, now has the ad- vantage of modern training flelds and equipment in the nearest approach to ideal conditione 0 be found anywhere. While the training here is thus one part of a much larger whole, it is @ most #mportant part and one which will help to provide the margin of superiority needed for victory. “As these new arrivals of only seven months ago leave to take their places over the tattle lines others will come to replace them. Over and above the direct present value to the common cause of thousands of well-trained pilots and crews, there is an asset, less tangible, but no less valuable for the future of the world in the associations which they have formed; the resulting increase in the mutual understanding between the United States of America and Great Britain and its empire, and in the donds o] friendship and re- spect will help to win the war. What is more, we must®see to it that these assets are used to further the joint effort by which alone our nations can win and maintain the peace.” they had a common purpose, to prepare themselves to give combat to the Nazl planes that had laid waste their homes. ‘Without exception they either had par- A. T. HARRIS, Air Marshal, R. A. F. Delegation. ents or wives and children, perhaps both, undergoing air raids and bombings as s part of their everyday existence. At least beure Peu-l Harbor, '.hey had an impelling desire to get at their jobs that set them apart. It is the same desire the Air Ministry speaks of in its little pamphlet in describ- ing the American idea of sports, which differs in some respects, it is pointed out, from the British. “The average American,” the anony- mous Air Ministry spokesman pointed out, “has inherited something of the tradition of the Americap Indian, through the redoubtable frontier fighters who beat the Indians at their own game, and used the same methods against our troops in the War of Independences. There is the same preliminary war dance and concurrent excitement, the same love of violent action and no less violent speech, the same war cries, and the same concentration on the scalp as the object of the expedition. “The idea is to win, not just to have s game, That idea is not altogether un- known in some games in other parts of the English-speaking world—and it is not a bad idea for & fighting man.” Whether or not they got it from American sporis, as they scatter to R. A. F. fighter, bomber or patrol quadrons in all parts of the globe, they have but one ides, that the Nazi scalp is the ohjmo(t.beupedlfion. T T ———— % s R, A i e s i i i R e oS = ‘Burnelli’s adaptation of the “flying wing” idea to a twin-engined fighter (top) and a }wavy bomber below. —Wide World Fhote. WASHING TON, D. C, JANUARY 25, 1942. Royal Air Force cadets taking a lesson from an American instructor. ~—U. 8. Army Air Corps Photo. Airplanes for Tomorrow’s War By Devon Francis, Wide World Newa. Warplane fieets of a sise and strik- ing force exceeding the most sanguine dreams of air power’s proponents prob- ably will be employed in World War II before the battle flags are furled. A hint of what they will be like exists in current designs and in the production goal which this Nation has set for itself—185,000 planes in the next two years. Further hints are on engineers’ draw- ing boards. Most of the designs in con- templation are, of course, secret. But some are not, and from these can be sketched a picture of the future. Faster airplanes of longer range un- Questionably will come, Higher speeds will be attained through better designs, greater engine power and operation at higher altitudes. The de- signs resemble somewhat the visions of the future presented by the English novelist and historian, H. G. Wells. Greater engine powers are fast being developed, and as for high-altitude flight, one type of American fighter plane already in production can be flown at & height in excess of eight miles. To Europe and Back Rangier planes, being develobed both by the United States and its enemies, will be necessary because this country has ocean ramparts on both sides, an experimental bomber developed before the war began is capable—the engineers who developed it say—of flying from continental United States to Europe and back. Whether it can carry an effec- tive bomb ‘load on such a trip has not been stated. But it is inevitable that whole fleets of long-range planes will be built as the war progresses. In numbers, the air forces in the offing will make today's look puny. On ex- traordinary occasions flights of 300 to 400 planes have been used in recent months in Europe on a single rald. Soon a flight of 500 bombers probably will become a commonplace. In the fleld of warplane design aero- Furs Are Playing Vital Role in Modern \ Warfare Few people realize the important part played by furs in the life of our country. Yes, in the lives of every American, and what is more surprising is that scarcely anyone knows the important role fur can play in winning the war. In the recent Russo-Finnish campaign, the Finns, although greatly outnumbered, ‘were able to repel the Russians again and again before they were conquered. ‘We know the Finns are fierce fighters and can stand the rigors of the far north, as can the Russians; but the Finns had the more modern equipment and their uni- forms were entirely adequate for fighting in the Arctic. Fur hats, fur gloves, and fur-lined ap- parel contributed greatly to the stand made by the Finns against the poorly clad Russians. The Russians learned their lesson only, however, through a great loss of men freezing to death because of insufficiently warm clothing. Today we know they have them and today we see the results. The Russian forces have trapped a goodly number of German divi- sions, who dared not retreat because there were no shelters from the Russian winter for distances of over a hundred miles and then nothing but the skeletons of ruined yillages and wrecked cities. “So thenl came that peculiar and sol- emn radio request,” says Carl Sandburg, “of Goebbels and Hitler *saying warm clothes must be sent to the freezing German troops on the Russian front. Reading that order slowly out loud you will see that if you were a citizen in Ger- many or any of the conquered countries you would think twice before going out on the street in fur or woolen clothes that looked fine and warm. Wearing a fur coat, fur cap or gloves you would expect to start a riot. This was one item not thought of when Hitler began his war on the largest fur producing country in the world.” 8o, let us think twice. Fur in war—it is s new idea to us but a vital one. The struggles abroad should open our eyes, as never before, to the extent and possibili- ties of this American resource. Yes, furs can be made to serve National Defense. The effect of World War I on the fur trade was revolutionary, and commer- cially it worked to the advantage of the United States. Under changed conditions the Ameri- can trade purchased furs in all markets, and foreign dealers shipped considerable portions of their annual collection to American markets and foreign buyers traveled to the United States to purchase their supplies. The modern fur trade de- veloped since 1914 from one of relatively small proportions into one of the largest and most important industries in exist- ence. & 4 (Fish and Wildlife Service, Furs use to rank in the first 25 chief exports and imports according to relative value. Today, practically no furs are exported and during the first eight months of 1941 there has been $63,700,000 worth of furs imported. Roughly speak- ing, there has been consumed in the United States for the past two years ap- proximately $200,000000 worth of raw furs. The yearly retail turnover in the fur trade is now estimated to be about $250,000,000; in 1929, the peak year, it reached half a billion dollars. Fur is an important commercial commodity and more of it has been produced, imported, dressed and dyed, manufactured and consumed in the United States than in any other country. The fur industry is an important part of the economic structure of our country and should be maintained and developed curing this greatest struggle of all times. Yes, the fur trade must continue to func- tion to furnish employment, to create By Frank G. Ashbrook new wealth and help supply revenue to the Government; and most important of all, to supply furs to protect men in the Army and Navy who serve in rorthern regions and in the bitter cold of the high altitudes. Furs Must Serve Millions “Furs can be made to serve the millions of men and women who will be on guard in every town and village in this coun- try,” says William Brett, editor of the Fur Trade Review, He continues “day and night vigils will encounter frosts, wind and snow, and these people sheuld be equipped, as far as possible, with fur and fur-lined apparel.” A large proportion of our imported furs came from countries now dominated by the Axis powers. War with Japan may cause all shipping in the Pacific to cease and this will prevent our receiving furs from China, Russia, Australia and Department of the Interlor.) New Zealand. A further extension of war may cause the discontinuance of all imports. “Since at least half of the fur used by our fur industry has been im- ported,” says J. H. Bleisten, former presi- dent of the American Fur Merchants’ Association, “the effect will be ‘serious.” - Stop just a moment to consider what this means. It means that if all our fur supplies from abroad are cut off, we will be entirely dependent upon our own fur resources. And those resources stand a good chance of being wiped out within a very short time. Even in these distressing times the Treasury of the United States will re- ceive a huge sum of money from the fur resources and the fur trade. Accord- ing to the estimates of the Treasury ex- perts, receipts from the tax on fur gar- ments during the fiscal year 1942 (nine months) should be about $12,000,000. It is interesting to know that the first col- lection by the Treasury Department for Ski troops of Finland marching to the northern front in uniform coats of heavy white fur. —A. P. Wirephots. ) | October was very close to a million dol- lars. Duties on imports of furs (dressed or manufactured) for the same period will amount to $20,000, and receipts from the sale of furs that become the property of the Federal Government will be in excess of $300,000, making a grand total of $12,320,000. ‘The Division of Civilian Supply, Office of Production Management, realizes that men and women in the fur industry are especially trained and could not work in the manufacturing plants where arms, munitions, automobiles or airplanes are made. Therefore, it is vitally necessary not only to maintain but increase the raw fur supply to keep those people em- ployed. Besides the curtailment of imports, in- roads into the hatters’ supply of rabbit fur have been made by the fur trade which uses rabbit skins to make fur coats and trim cloth coats. Incidentally, the Federal Government has already re- stricted the use of wool. More Rabbits, Says O. P. M. Office of Production Management of- ficials, co-operating with the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior, have been urging rabbit breeders and trappers to increase the domestic supply of rabbit pelts. This is an attempt to bring civilian demands in line with supply by increasing the supply rather than by controlling the demand. ‘The primary object for increased produc- lambe), which are in heavy demand for aviation suits, Arctic clothing and other defense requirements, is likely to prove inadequate unless every possible measure is taken to conserve and find substitutes Whenever possible. It does not matter whether it is muskrat, beaver, wolf, opossum or raccoon, 8o long as it is practicable and available in great quantities at lowest nautical engineers are only now be- ginning to tap the possibilities of the future. Two years ago & lesding American engineer took s model of & proposed warplane to the wind tunnel labora- tories of New York University for test- ing. A wind tunnel is fust what the name implies—a device to simulate speeds and air conditions under care- fully controlled laboratory conditions. Weeks later he emerged shaking his head. “It doesn't seem possible,” he said. Unheard-of Speed The model plane indicated a full- scale speed unheard of in aviation. To double-check his findings, and suspicions that the wind tunnel itself was at fault, the engineer took the model to another tunnel, at the Massa- chusetts Institute of Technology. Weeks of work followed. The results were almost identical. That design, known as the Burnelli all-wing type, likely will appear in some form, along with others of a sensa- tional character, during the course of the war. We can consider the Burnelli type here because it is not on the War Department’s restricted list. Developed by Vincent J. Burnelli, long a figure in American aviation circles, it differs from conventional airplanes in the same way that the Northrop “Flying Wing,” announced last fall, differs. In looking at tomorrow’s airplanes, we must bear in mind that for all their knowledge, engineers are still groping in the dark in trying to find out what makes a plane behave as it does at high speeds and high altitudes. Improve- ments are made gradually. Neither the Northrop nor the Burnelli design is a production type as yet, even though experimental planes in both classes have been flown. How long it would take to create production types of them is a matter of conjecture. Burnelli proceeds on the theory that the conventional airplane *“has gradu- ally been patterned from the inherited idea of a streetcar or motorcar body ar- rangement with wings applied.” That, he says, is wrong. He argues that the fuselage, that part of a war- plane which carries the crew guns and bombs, should not be a mere streamlined shape but, instead, a wing-shaped com- partment which lifts part of its own weight. That permits shortening of the wings themselves, decreases air resistance and adds to the speed and range. It also provides better protection to the crew in a crash. A few years ago Burnelli trundle out one of his experimental planes for a test flight at Newark Airport. A crew of two climbed in and took off. It was evident a few minutes later that the ship was in trouble. Pirst one aileron, the control surface on the trailing edge of the wing near the tip, ripped off. Then the other one let go. The plane crashed. Spectators rushed over to extricate the bodies. The ship had plowed deeply into a swamp. No one, they thought, could have lived. From the odd-shaped fuselage both the pilot and his mechanic crawled out. The latter was hurt. The other was merely shaken up. The mechanic was hurt because he had loosened his safety belt before the crash. Burnelli was so delighted at this proof of the strength of his wing-shaped fuselage that he used a picture of the crash in subsequent advertisements. Clyde Pangborn, who in 1931 flew non- stop from Japan to the United States and now is ferrying American-made bombers to England, has strongly recom- mended to the War Department the de- velopment of combat airplanes on the Burnelli principlé® Burnelli has had his troubles over a period of years which have prevented & more rapid development of his design for the United States armed services, but now he is ready to proceed with his development work. “Due retaliatory measures” against Ja- pan have been promised for the bombing of Manila. The airplane designers, mak- ing today’s fantasies tomorrow’s realities, and the manufacturers, pressing for a production of more than 10,000 planes a month in 1943, will help the Army and Navy to make good on the promise. “If all our fur supplies from abroad are cut off we will be en-~ tirely dependent upon our own fur resources. And those re- sources stand a good chance of being wiped out within a very short time.” cluding statistical data available in the Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, has become invalusble to the Government at this time. In order to increase to the fullest possible extent the contribution of this Service towards win- ning the war, all State and Federal agen- cles and the American fur trade should consult and co-operate with the Fish and ‘Wildlife Service in the discharge of func- tions dealing with fur production and the fur trade. The liaison centralizing these prob- L lems in the Fish and Wildlife Service will accomplish economy in administra- tion and supervision, increase efficiency and expertness of work, prevent possibile ity of disseminating conflicting informa- tion and make possible more effective co-operation with fur animal producers, trappers, fur tradesmen, and Governe mental Defense agencies. And so, en rapport with the pulse of the times, our fur requirements cansbe met and serve for the ultimate victory. Purs in war— yes, furs on the backs of our countrymen! A