Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 93, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 May 1917 — Page 2

HOW UNCLE SAM TRAINS MEN FOR THE AVIATION CORPS

Army Schoofs Are Speeding Up Work to Supply Fliers for New ArmySCHOOLING MOST THOROUGH Pick of the Land Intellectually and Physically la the Raw Material of the Field—First Taught Mechanics and Work Gradually Up to Difficult Feats in Flying. New York. —Uncle Sam's new army must have the best aviators in the world. This is the order that has come from Washington, and the army schools throughout the country are striving to carry it out. There are many obstacles and discouragements. fast scout planes _ are almost non-existent this side of the Atlantic, but the standard already reached means as vast advance. A trip out to the big government flying school on Hempstead Plains, near Mineola, L. L, shows -a scene of bustling activity, a beehive of industry, which has speeded up even over Its former strenuous pace in the last few days. At the entrance to the field a stgl*wart private, an automatic on his hip, challenges the visitor and scrutinizes closely the papers shown. A step through the gate discloses inside the fence a scene to rejoice the hair ijf lire expanse, on which great mechanical falcong purr and skip, now rising itfto the clouds and now descending swiftly and gracefully to the level • turf. . ' ■ Framing the picture are rows of airplane sheds, or hangars, barracks, machine shops, offices and other rough buildings which have mostly been knocked into shape in the last few weeks.- • i Scores of students and mechanicians hustle around and over the winged monsters, oiling, plying the wrench, making tests and seeking the slightest flaw, for every flying machine must always be in the top notch of condition.

Pick of the Land There. War will probably soon change the conditions here in many ways—indeed, some? differences are already noticeable from peace days. But most of the Students are still paying their way-or-and not a small price either. After passing his flying test a student must turn over a SSOO tuition fee and S3OO more is due on final examination. The student must weigh hot more than 190 pounds stripped, and “must furnish evidence of having a college education and be of good moral character.” The pick of the land intellectually and physically is the raw material of the field. Out of such promising novices Uncle Sam makes finished birdmen in three months—and now even this brief training period may be cut down. The captain in command of the

FOOD SHORTAGE MENACES THE ALLIES

Great Britain Asks Them and Also Her Own People to Eat Less. London.—England has issued a call to all the allied peoples, not only her owa, to help obviate a food shortage. Th* call solemnly warns them that famine conditions may exist throughout the world before the next harvest is reaped. Since Lloyd George declared “Our stocks of food are low, alarmingly lower than within recollection.” scores of public leaders have repeatedly warned the people to place themselves on voluntary rations. The public absolutely refuses to recognize the government’s position, and such conditions have resulted evidently in the Issuance of the appeal, apparently from an official source, which outlines clearly the world’s deficiency In wheat and other agricultural producfs. while the war is disorganizing the supplies of food staples to nearly every civilized country. ;; e So serious is the food, situation that England has completely cast off the cloak of secrecy, At the beginning of . the war Germany deliberately required of a Isrge proportion of the live stock in <mraer to save . food, and now finds 'outlier mistake. * Conversely England at the outset insisted that live stock be conserved—neither exported nor slaughtered needlessly. Now England, possessing a big stock of animals, orders that they be slaughtered in order to provide food and save feeding them. Food Supply Diminishes. Commenting, the Evening News says that Lloyd George issued his warning seven weeks ago. Since then the consumiuion inland, which imports fourfifths of its ample cereal supply, kkes an importantblte: iw the jf, - the submarines are sinking <hlp* d '<' vn the rate of re '

THE FLAG

By KENNETH MAC DOUGAL.

The die is cast, the time lias come. The eagle screams* once more. The Stars and Stripes again shall wave Upon a foreign shore. Behind the flag of freedom. Sweep on our fighting men. To crush the Prussian eagle. The peace dove bring again. Regiment, brigade, division And corps pass smartly by: Pressing to crush oppression, That the flag of right may fly. Men who were known as hyphens. Russians, Frenchmen, lads from Spain, Germans, Austrians, Italians, Are Americans again. To the flag, then! To the president! A toast: We’re in the right! Forward, march! We’ll show the Prussian That we’re not too proud to fight.

field explains the course. of instr’uction; = — “After the student has passed his preliminary physical examination and has had the mechanism of the machine 'drilled into him, we turn him over to an instructor, who takes him up on a joy ride as a passenger. He goes up about 3.000 feet the first time. When he becomes, during successive flights, accustomed to the

-swift- -rush—of the -air aloft, so disconcerting to the novice, he is permitted to handle the controls himself, but the* instructor is there to correct any errors very promptly. “In tunr he is* passed from one to another of the instructors until four have had him," and then they make four separate reports iin him. After that we begin his training in real earnest, as we have learned then whether he is cut out to be an aviator. Training Is Thorough. “We have found that a student cannot assimilate more than half an hour’s lesson aloft in a day; that is, he does not profit by a longer lesson. So when he comes down he is put to work at the mechanics of the job, dismantling and assembling his en-

“More and more serious trials are coming,” the paper. “We appeal to our readers to regard it as a sacred duty to cut down the consumption of all commodities to the last-ounce and pennyworth,” A new set of restrictions has become effective, which requires proprietors of eating places to keep a record of all meals served. They must not serve more than a specified amount each week. The following is the scale of allowances per mealr Breakfast—Meat, 2 ounces; sugar,. 2.7 ounces; bread, 2 ounces; flour, 1 ounce. Luncheon —Meat, 5 ounces; sugar, 2.7 ounces; bread, 2 ounces; flour, 1 ounce. Dinner —Meat, 5 ounces; sugar, 2.7 ounces; bread. 2 ounces; flour 1 ounce. No meat or flour is allowed In place of tea or sugar. Tuesday is designated as a meatless day in London, Wednesday in the provinces. ... Lloyd George’s Appeal. ===. “We may have to feed our army and ifsvy,"”as wen a§~ ourselves, on homegrown food.” said' Premier Lloyd George in a letter which was read at a jneeting tonight of the Norwich (Norfolk) Agricultural committee, The letter was addressed: “To all workers on land,” and appealed TOThem to do their utmost to help raise all food possible. “The line which the British empire holds against the Germans,” the letter continues, “is held at home as well as abroad. If it breaks at any point, it breaks everywhere. In the face of the enemy the seamen of our royal naval and mercantile marine and the soldlers gathered .from every part of our empire hold our line firstly. You workers on land must hold your part of our line as strongly. “Every full day’s labor you do helps to shorten the struggle and bring us nearer victory. Every Idle day. all loitering, lengthens the struggle and I makes defeat more possible. Therefore, jin the nation’s honor, heed: Acquit 1 yourselves like men, and as workers !on land dp your duty with all your strength.”

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN, RENSSELAER, IND.

gine; detecting trouble, making such repairs as he might be called on to make if he had to dascend-fer cause during a flight.. We give him''textbooks on motors, too, and something about aerordynamlcs, and teach him how to observe the earth as It flies under him. When the young aviator is competent to handle his machine he Is introduced into more complicated work, scouting and maneuvering. For instance,’ on a recent day a motorcar was sent on a devious tenmlle journey over little frequented Long Island roads. Its top was broadlystriped in black and white, but otherwise it could not be told from the tens of thousands of other cars which are constantly on the move over the island. “Twenty-four- army airplanes went up to seek the car. Twenty-one left here and three came from the government school at Governors Island, New York city. “The car with the striped top represented the head of an enemy convoy. The airmen were to detect the head of the supposed column while the latter was still far from its objective, the aviation field, for there must be time to make the imaginary artillery attack upon it effective.- .■ Problems Easily 'Solved. For the problem the map of Long Island near the flying field was divided into 24 sectors, one being given to each scout. The lucky man who found the car whirred back to the field

Where Aviation Is' Taught.

in short order and Mineola was “saved.” In another problem thrtee Fast L. W. F. tractors were sent to a far distant point, which was not disclosed to the students, and there sent up as scouts of an enemy bent upon taking photographs of the Mineola field. The students were to- locate these machines and. drive them back by heading them off. They did this with ease. Not all the feats attempted work out well, because real swift machines are lacking. The slower machines do not stand up so well in a gale, although otherwise easier to manage. It is understood the fastest machines now at the field are the L. W. F. tractors, capable of 95 miles an hour. British and French scouts make 135 and-138 miles an hour. The new Mo-raine-Saulnier, according to Miss Ruth Law, the flying woman, makes 150 miles an hour. Airplanes tpuch slower are useless on the western European battle front. -< Students start learning to fly at Mineola on the poky .1. N. 4 Curtiss biplanes, which go at the snail’s pace of 75 miles an hour. ’ However, it is taken for granted that the deficiency in fast machines will soon be remedied. All the art of airplane building the French British have learned in nearly three yeqrs of warfare will be placed at the disposal of the new ally. Commisskjps' of Anglo-French flying men antKouilders will assist the United States army in manufacturing and teach the latest tricks of the trade to our aviators. What They Must Do.

The Mineola school is officially at! aviation section of the signal officers reserve corps. Civilian volunteers enter as sergeants and become lieutenants in the reserve on passing their examinations. These “exams” are not to be sniffed at. Here are some of the things the young collegian must do: He must climb out of a field 2,000 square and attain an altitude of SPO feet while keeping all parts of his machine within the square; he must cut off his motor at a height of 1,000 feet and land within 200 feet of a designated point; he must land over an assumed obstacle ten feet higli and come to rest within 1,500 feet ot it: lie must fly for 45 minutes at an altitude of 4,000 feet. “The psychology of this flying bush ness so far as the students are com cerned,” says the commandant of the field, “is a singular thing. In considering it you must put fear out of the reckoning. The students aro never frightened. The fact of thf matter is that they go Into it thinking that it’s a daredevil job. Then they go up and they’re disappointed —it isn’t the daredeviltry they thought at all. So what do they do? They tend to go to the other extreme right away and we have to keep them from killing themselves with sheer recklessness. We have to teach them with every ounce of ability we possess that if they .make the one slip they seem determine I to make it will be -the very I»SL ili> they’ll ever make.”

YANKEES FEAR LEFT-HANDED PITCHERS

Manager Bill. Donovan of the . Yankees took Ayery chance he could get during the spring operations of the club in Dixie to give his players practice against left-handed pitching. For those Yanks are weak against the forkhand boys, and Bill is considerably worried over the prospects of facing portsiders in crucial series during the coming season. “Home Run” Fra onTy member of the Yankees who really has’bcen able to hold his own against left-handed pitching this year. High, Maisel, I’lpp, Gilhooley, Magee and the rest of the Yanks found the benders of the poit-siders a mystery.

TAFT AS BASEBALL FAN

Years ago while the Red Sox were playing in Washington the players were taken to the White House and introduced to (then) President Taft. The chief executive w'as a great ball fan, and knew the of the 1 eading players of the American league in particular. As Eddie Clcotte, who was then a Boston pitcher, was introduced, the president said: “Show me how you throw that knuckle ball, Mr. Cicotte.” Eddie illustrated as well as he cojild,. . . Pitcher Ray Collins was next in line. Cicotte overheard what was said. “Can you tell me why your left shoulder is lower than your right. Mr. Collins?” queried the president. “Guess it’s because I’m a southpaw,” replied the pitcher. “Ah, that must be it.” The above is written just to show that even the president of a great republic can be a regular fan and read up on the various phases of the game.

GIANTS AFTER HIGH RECORD

McGraw Wants to Beat Figures of Cubs of 1906 When They Won 112 Out of 154 Games. The pennant is not the onlydncentlve in the 1917 yace, John J. McGraw wants his Giants to beat the figures of the Cubs of 1906, writes Len Wooster tn the Brooklyn Times. In that season the great Chicago machine finished the season with a percentage of .765. They won 112 games out of 154, the best mark under such a schedule in either of the two big leagues. McGraw calculates on a flying start and will improve every opportunity •to gratify his ambition. He considers himself in possession of the greatest team fie ever handled and with the class he possesses believes it possible to pick the season' for the best percentage of victories amassed by any club under the 154 arrangement. The 26 straight run of last fall, a new major league record, started that bee buzzing in his cranium. It’s a laudable ambition, but there are a few rival managers who will do their best to trip tip McGraw in his quest for a record-breaking performance.

METHOD TO REWARD PLAYERS

Cornell University Permits Winners of Baseball and Football Games to Wear Prizes. Cornell university has adopted a new method of rewarding football and baseball players for winning games, which has been indorsed by the athletic council w of the Ithaca institution. The privilege of wearing a miniature gold football on the watch chain or fob will be given to wearers of the football C after a season in which the team has won both the Michigan and Pennsylvania games. Gold baaeballs may be worn similarly as a reward for the winning of six out of nine baseball games from Princeton, Yale, Michigan and Pennsylvania, provided the six victories [ include two over Pennsylvania.

BASEBALL STOPIES

Now all the baseball players’ strikes will come in threes. * * • The St. Louis club of the National league lost $20,000 last season. . Pitcher Ruge Benton is having a tough job getting weight. Johnny Evers is rounding into fighting form very slowly again this year. • • * Dick rttldolliH, the Bfonx boy, who is Stallings’ leading pitcher, is bothered with a sore arm., ——' ■ .—ui. « • • Young Hoelke, the Giants first-sack-~er, is now hitting the ball as hard as he did last fall. John Ford, president of the Central association, has been re-elected mayor of Fort Dodge, la. * * * Ping Bodie of the Athletics threatens to break all home-run records for Shibe Park this season. ♦ • * The fast and clever work of Milt Risberg, the Pacific Coast infielder, is the sensation.of the White Sox. Pitcher Cliff Harkle of Toronto has notified the club of his retirement from baseball for the season. Pitcher Collamore, who formerly played in Cleveland, is manager of the Rail-Lights team of Toledo. ♦ * * Hans Wagner’s instructions to young hatters are very simple. All you have to do is to hit the ball. *•♦ » _ Chick Gandil may fool the multitude and prove to bq just the man the White Sox have been looking for. ♦ ♦ • The absence of knotholes in concrete fences is a big problem that the future greats are trying to solve. *♦ * I It ball players go to.war for Uncle Sam they’ll be in the federal service, but they won’t " get Fed league salaries. « *. • A ball player who whiffs in a pinch may get your goat, but did you ever back three bullets against a straight flush? ' Little Boby Roth is displaying a brand of baseball in right field for the Indians that is pleasing to Manager Lee Fohl. *. » • • Only difference between semi-profes-sionals and some amateurs is That the latter forget to put “semi” in front of their title. a . - 1 '• • The work of young Baird, the Louisiana state recruit of the Giants, is attracting quite a lot of comment of a favorable nature. • ♦ • At the rate McGraw is paid, we figure that he will get something like 50 cents a word for cussing the umpires. Why be a journalist? • * • Speaking of conservatism, \ve Obthe baseball guides still refer to It as baseball, in spite of the high cost of white paper

RECRUIT IS BRILLIANT

Fans and Players Adpiire Good Qualities of Hornsby. __ . i Manager Huggins Wouldn't Trade Roger for Benny Kauff—-Field* Like Finished Veteran and la Mighty Hard Hitter. . Roger (“Pep”) Hornsby, the Cardinals’ young Infielder, is the most brilliant young recruit of the past several seasons, according to the opinion of -players and fans around the National league circuit. Miller Huggins, Card manager, says he wouldn’t trade Roger for Benny Kauff at any time and that he paid only S3OO for Roger while the Giants paid $35,000 for Kauff. Hornsby, says .Huggins, fields like the most finished veteran, is batting over .300 and previous to joining the Cardinals he had played onl< a few months of professional ball. Huggins says of Hornsby: .“Hornsby Is going to be one of the real stars of the game. I .have seen many brilliant young boys, and In my opinion Lee Magee was one of the leaders.. What I like about Hornsby is his confidence. Say, he can hit any pitcher in the league. Tell Roger to do a thing once and he never forgets. On the sacks he’s always trying, to do theunexpected.” And liugglns went on to add that he hasn’t been touting the youngster — simply because he picked him up. “I’m

Roger Hornsby.

not stingy,” says Hug. “When I see a' good lad I say so, but I haven’t seen one who comes anywhere near to this Texas youngster.” Hornsby seems able to shine anywhere at all and is being called the George Sisler of the Cards. He has played all around the Infield from third to first and with his hitting would go great in the outfield. Quite a few seem to think that he would <Jo his best if kept regularly on first, but he has shown so much class at third and short that Huggin* still works him there. The remarkable confidence the youngster shows 4s -a big item in This success. He’s sure that he can do anything at all and he usually does. Before joining the Cards he played a short while in a class D Texas league, where a Cardinal scout picked him up.

SEVERE TEST FOR CALLAHAN

Manager of Pittsburgh Pirates Starts 1917 Season With Players of His Own Selection. This year is a test for the mahagerlal ability of Jimmy Callahan. He will start the season with a team of his

Jimmy Callahan.

own selection. Barney Dreyfuss has been givinff hlm plenty of rope in his effort to get a winner.