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results. Like the Navy, an Air Force cannot be organized and built overnight, and even more than the Navy, it must be maintained at full strength in time of peace if any measure of air defense is to be attained and available to the nation on the outbreak of war.

Unfortunately, the working of the system up to the present time has practically prevented the development of even the semblance of a real Air Force. Since all military aviation is a part of and controlled by the Army and Navy, the broad aspects of air defense have been more or less neglected, and the secondary mission of air units only have been fully considered. In addition, the mistake has been made of giving to naval aviation, functions entirely without its province.

The development of an Air Force and the attainment of Air Power must not be confused with the arguments which have taken place in the past on the merits or demerits of a separate Air Force. Air power exists and can be attained whether the Air Force is organized as a separate service coequal with the Army and Navy, as in England, or organized as part of the Army Air Corps as in this country. England furnishes an example of the most efficient type of organization. However, the fact that our Air Force is unorganized, as compared to that of England, does not preclude our attaining air power, if the necessary appropriations are made available and full use made of them.

Unfortunately, in our case, the tendency is to assign, as the major effort to the air arm, secondary duties, namely, cooperation with the Army as its principal duty, and as part of the Army, it is difficult


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