WAR OF THE FUTURE

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 3 October 1925, Page 5

WAR OF THE FUTURE

SCOPE OF AEROPLANES.

ESSENTIAL, BUT LIMITED. U.S. GENERAL’S VIEW. dT CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION- —COPYRIGHT. WASHINGTON, Oct. 1. The Acting-Secretary for War, Mr. Davis, has requested. Major-General Hines, Chief Secretary to the army, to make a survey of the criticisms and suggestions in the .testimony before President CooLidge’.s aircraft board. Major-General Hines is at present in Kansas City, Missouri, where he is to-day addressing a convention of reserve officers opposed to the separation oif the .reserve" lair .service from thje other reserve units. He said: The air service will be able to bomb a position blit cannot capture i.t, let alone hold it. Wars, .whether on land or on sea, will be won in the future, as in the past, by a comparatively slow but irresistible force ableto move from one strategic position to another, take it, hold lit and move on to another. An air service has a specific limitation, both from a tactical sense and the mechanical standpoint. Aircraft will always be dependent on favourable weather conditions., and will always require land or se'a forces to protect their bases.’.’ Declaring that, preparedness ten years ago might have averted American participation in the world war,. MajorGeneral Hines said he would be pleased to see the proper expenditure of a few million dollars a year on adequate preparedness which should save billions in expenses for the Government in the future.