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95th Pursuit Squadron, Kelly Field #2, San Antonio, Texas February 28, 1920. Dear bBanks & Smith: Went down on the border to try out the border patrol last weekend, tried out the flying over the Rio Grande, Mexican likker, the 250 miles of rotten mosquite country between S.A. and McAllen on the boundary, and ended up a delayed return trip by a forced landing in which I busted on DH4B prop. Then I walked four miles, rode 36 in a greaser-smelling choo-choo, and got to camp a couple of days late. Heluva life, this being dependent upon your own sweet self for the proper functioning of things. Stay away a day and it means make-up work because no one is here to substitute. The army is in a chaotic state anyway. The regulars are being r reduced to such a degree that former colonels are now first looies and captains, putting them on par with the emergency officers. No definite policy seems to have shown up to this date. All I know is that the temporary officers like myself are authorized till June. Anytime before June that the powers that be try to put anything over on us out we go by mutual resignations. Right now we are the mainstay of the Air Service. They can't reduce us; they may promote us. What I wish th' hell they would do is to set some kind of a definite policy regarding the future of our Air Power and the status of the officers thereof. I still want to do all I can in the light of the experience that I have had, to build up an adequate heavier-than-air branch. But I'm against any of the "system" stuff, and as soon as I see that that is what is going on, I'm going to hop out pronto. Right now there is much that I can do here. If things do not drop from the present plane, or if they go up, I'll stick till I figure the good of the service and A.R.B. are no longer being served. If there is the least bit of a slump I'm through, however. I have received a fine batch of material from you-all. Goshamighty, but I'll say you two [[underline]] are [[/underline]] snapping things up. I'm wishing at times that I were with you as you yourselves have expressed it, but not for a while yet-- my work lies here just at this time..... Thanks for the photo Smithie. Just to show you I'm a good sport I built myself a moustache and photographed it too, lately. It is among all these papers somewhere. I've since had a thorough shave, but figuring the disguise of the picture off, you may get an idea of the A.R.B. at this writing. Now then -- the reason I told you to be careful of the News is now apparent. You never know what they are going to do with anything that looks as though they could fill up space with it. No harm was done, however. Just a bit premature in exploding, but feed 'em the stuff you want 'em to put into print---don't let them have free rein. I am strong for this propaganda method of getting the public of Framingham educated to the degree of interest that we want them to have. So starting in with this bunch of material, and henceforth in the coming days I am going to send to you everything that can possibly be printed about aviation tonstir a healthy interest in aeronautics in general, and in our concern in particular. For instance, the News Letters from the Air Service in Washington can be published in the News officially in so far as they apply in their bearing to some particular feature of the wares WE have to sell. Take all the enumeration of the kind of work that the aeroplane can be applied to as an example. That makes good reading matter and at the same time insidiously tells the gullible public that an investment in our company is a worth while proposition. In News Letter #8 there is a lot of meat--