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To include the attack of enemy naval forces off any part of the coast within the flying range of the aircraft employed; the protection of harbor defenses and naval bases against hostile naval and air attack; the prevention of the establishment of enemy air or land bases on any portion of our coast; the repulse of landing parties on any part of the coast; assisting fixed defenses and mobile forces of the army in repulsing enemy landing and attacks; and the prevention of enemy air attacks launched against the interior of the country. On the other hand, General Orders No. 20 limits the use of army aircraft to the area in the vicinity of shore establishments. Against enemy vessels engaged in attacks on the coast it is limited to cases of bombardment of the coast, operations preparatory to landing troops, and operations such as mine laying or attacks on the shipping in the vicinity of the defended ports. The naval aircraft, however, are charged with the protection of all coastal sea communications.

The Navy Department has stated as a policy that naval vessels and aircraft assigned to naval districts in the continental United States shall be kept at a minimum so that all naval vessels which shall add to the power of the United Stated Fleet may be assigned to it.

If our present peace-time policy in regard to the supply of air equipment for the Army and Navy is continued, it will be found that upon the outbreak of war, in order to maintain the fleet at its maximum efficiency, it will be necessary to utilize the entire naval air service, whether on duty with the fleet or with the naval coast defense forces. Consequently, the air service duties connect with the coast defense will fall on the army, which, through a faulty peace-time policy, has been

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