Independent Air

For proposing to shake Army airmen loose from Army groundlings, Brigadier General Billy Mitchell was harried out of the service in 1926. For all but setting up an independent air service last week, Major General Henry H. Arnold was handsomely rewarded. He became the first Chief of Air Corps vested with control over every phase of the corps's operations. Without any fanfare and with very little notice, a momentous change was thus made: the Army's flying force was turned over to flying men.

Naturally this shift was not accomplished without strife in the Army. No secret in Washington is the fact that ever since able little Oscar Westover crashed to his death last year (TIME, Oct. 3), his successor has had to wage a friendly struggle with Chief of Staff Malin Craig.

Smart, aggressive General Arnold foresees that with the Air Corps about to be trebled in size and importance, the Army, to get full value from its airmen in the next war, may in effect have to rebuild itself around its air service. Deliberate, thoughtful General Craig gravely doubts that the U. S. Army needs an Air Corps of Roosevelt dimensions. Furthermore, he believes that whatever its size the Air Corps should continue to be a subordinate arm, supplementing the all-important Infantry.

Aware that he must retire next August at 64, resigned to the airward trend now that Franklin Roosevelt has taken off with the airmen, Malin Craig silently acceded to last week's changes.

One change deprived him of control of the General Headquarters Air Force. When that unit was established in 1935 as the Army's combat air force, it was placed outside the Air Corps proper. For a further check rein, its first commanding officer (Major General Frank Maxwell Andrews) was made directly responsible to the Chief of Staff. The GHQ Air Force now takes its place in the Air Corps and its new C. O. (Major General Delos CArleton Emmons) will be responsible to Henry Arnold alone.

By another change "in response to the recommendations of high Air Corps officials," Henry Arnold also took charge of all Air Corps personnel and training (a responsibility previously divided between him and the Chief of Staff) thereby taking direct control of training the new Air Corps which is to increase from 1,638 to 3,203 Regular officers (plus 3,000 Reservists), 21,500 to 45,000 enlisted men within ten years.

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