A FRANK REPORT

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 22, 21 October 1942, Page 4

A FRANK REPORT

• In a report quite striking in its frankness the Office of War Information in Washington has made public some comments upon the facts about American aircraft. These statements set out the points of inferiority, as well as of superiority, of various types ot American planes as compared with others, and also as to their lelative efficiency and effectiveness to the demands made upon them in the varying conditions they have to meet in actual warfare. It would appear from the report that each type of aircraft named may excei in some capacities and prove less satisfactory in otheis. . It has taken the test of warfare to try out the qualities ot fighting aircraft, and, as the conditions of this war are constantly changing, new developments in aircraft production and in air tactics may soon render quite obsolete types of machines that came into the conflict in the earlier stages with a high reputation. But while this test may have revealed weaknesses, the varieties of types used by the United Nations, nut into the common pool, offer a wider choice ot machines for special tasks than is available to the enemy. Ihus the weaknesses referred to in the report must be balanced against the advantages to be gafiied from the versatile nature of Allied aircratt. The Office of War Information is an official department set up to collect facts about, the United States war effort which may be made public without prejudice to the military situation. Its role is to provide the public with a background of facts that will enable it to avoid errors of opinion and to form in their minds a balanced picture of the situation as presented in the news. Ihus, m the report referred to, it is pointed out that, on the facts, '‘the truth of the aircraft position lies between the two extremes of adverse and favourable criticism.” It may strike the New Zealand reader that a similar policy adopted in this country would be helpful in chastening both undue optimism and undue pessimism.