Eagles

ARMY & NAVY

To Panama, where Peace-Dove Lindbergh sprinkled goodwill three months ago, the War Department's two chief eagles--Assistant Secretary of War F. Trubee Davison and Major-General James E. Fechet, Chief of Army Air Corps--last month flew to inspect the Canal's defenses.

Said Secretary Davison: "You can look at maps until the cows come home, but ... we came down here expressly for the purpose of seeing."

They not only saw the Canal's defenses, but saw them in action, in a "war game" last week. Eleven Navy bombing planes played "enemy" against 25 Army defense planes under a torrid blue sky and at night, under a tropic moon. The "defenders" won. Threatening cruisers and submarines were "sunk" by shore batteries. "Invaders" landed troops, sweated through miles of jungle, reached locks along the Canal, but were finally "captured and killed." The Canal was saved.

Nevertheless, Eagles Davison and Fechet recommended doubling Panama's air defenses. Perhaps to hasten the passage of appropriations, they abandoned their plan to fly home along Peace-Dove Lindbergh's route through the Antilles. They returned as they had gone down, in long hops of their Loening amphibians to Managua, Vera Cruz, Tampico, Brownsville, Washington, D. C.

General Fechet is to the banner born. The fighting strain (French-Huguenot, not Irish) surges through Fechet blood. His uncle quit the U. S. Army after long service, irked with peace, and went to Egypt to fight. The nephew was elevated to the Air Service from the Cavalry where he won his spurs. Many a War and post-War flier was trained under his command at Scott, Carlstrom, Dorr and Kelly Fields. His brother officers still think he looks "like a Remington cavalryman." "Take a good look at that fighting jaw," say they.