HOMELAND, FALSE CLEAR FAILURE, TEST 1512. CONDITION EQUAL TO A LOW RESISTANCE GROUND ON POSITIVE SIDE OF CROSSING BELL BATTERY.

TUXEDO, FALSE CLEAR FAILURES, TESTS 1592, 1593, 1594, 1595, 1596.

CONDITION EQUAL TO A LOW RESISTANCE
GROUND ON POSITIVE SIDE OF CROSSING
BELL BATTERY,

63D CONGRESS, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. ( DOCUMENT 3d Session. No. 1549.

NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AERONAUTICS.

LETTER FROM THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION TRANSMITTING A MEMORIAL ON THE NEED OF A NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AERONAUTICS IN THE .. UNITED STATES.

FEBRUARY 1, 1915.-Referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs, and ordered to be printed.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION,
Washington, February 1, 1915.

The SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,

Washington, D. C.

SIR: We have the honor to transmit herewith a memorial on the need of a national advisory committee for aeronautics in the United States.

Very respectfully, yours,

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL, Chairman,
CHARLES WALCOTT, Secretary,

Committee of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

MEMORIAL ON THE NEED OF A NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AERONAUTICS.

The United States is the only first-class nation that does not have an advisory committee for aeronautics and suitable research laboratories placed under its direction.

This country led in the early development of heavier-than-air machines. To-day it is far behind. When the European war broke out France had about 1,400 aeroplanes, Germany 1,000, Russia 800, Great Britain 400, the United States 23. The Navy has 12 of these.

The Smithsonian Institution became interested in aeronauties in 1860. At a meeting of the Board of Regents held December 10, 1914, it was:

Resolved, That a committee be appointed by the chancellor, to consist of four members of the board and the secretary, to consider questions relative to the Langley Aerodynamical Laboratory.

The chancellor, Chief Justice White, appointed the following: Dr. A. Graham Bell, Senator William J. Stone, Representative Ernest W. Roberts, Mr. John B. Henderson, jr., and Secretary Charles D. Walcott. On January 30, 1915, the committee had under consideration a memorandum in relation to the Langley Aerodynamical Laboratory and the need of a national advisory committee for aeronautics. After discussion it was:

Resolved, That the memorandum be approved and presented to Congress as a memorial in relation to the advancement of aeronautics in the United States by the appointment by the President of an advisory aeronautical committee.

MEMORANDUM ON THE NEED OF A NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AERONAUTICS.

On May 1, 1913, the Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, approving a general scheme, authorized Secretary Walcott, with the approval of the executive committee, to reopen the Langley Aerodynamical Laboratory; to secure an advisory committee; to add, as means were provided, other laboratories and agencies; to group them into a bureau organization; and to secure the cooperation with them of the Government and other agencies.

The first action taken by the secretary was to request the approval of the President of the United States of the designation of representatives from the Departments of War, Navy, Agriculture, and Commerce to serve on an advisory committee. On May 9, 1913, the President approved the request, and the departments named designated members for the committee. A number of civilians were also selected for membership. The committee then organized, but before effective work could be undertaken a decision made by the Comptroller of the Treasury stated that under section 9 of the act approved March 4, 1909 (35 Stat., 1027), it was unlawful for any Government employee to serve on an advisory committee for aeronautics without authority being granted by Congress.

The Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution also authorized the secretary to send an estimate to Congress for the carrying on of operations in such a laboratory. The estimate was made and explained to the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives in January, 1914. (Hearings, sundry civil bill, 63d Cong., 2d sess., pp. 419-429.) A statement was also made in relation to the desirability of having an advisory committee for aeronautics.

No action was taken by the committee or by Congress and the United States remains to-day the only first-class nation in the world that does not have an advisory committee or board on aeronautics and one or more aeronautical laboratories devoted to the solution of problems which the manufacturer and practical aviator meet with in connection with the advancement of aerial flight.

America invented and led in the early development of the heavierthan-air flying machine through Langley, the Wright brothers, Curtiss, and others, and a small grant was made by the Congress to the Navy Department for experimental work in aeronautics, but nothing was done to encourage or assist American inventors and manufacturers beyond the purchase of a few machines.