Northwest History. State History. Aeronautics, Continued Airports, Commercial Service. 1936 to 1937.

• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1937
• Subjects: Congressmen; Inland Empire; Robert Rich; Grand Coulee; Columbia river; Russian airplanes; Coulee dam; Military department; Army air base; National guard; Harold Jones; Aviation committee; Chamber of Commerce; Northwest History > History > 20th Century; United States > Aeronautics; Continued Airports; Commercial Service > 20th Century; North Pole
• Online Access: http://content.libraries.wsu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/clipping/id/139434

Air Base Aided By Dam Debate. AIR BASE AIDED BY DAM DEBATE Congressmen can't be expected to have all the answers to all the questions. In this instance, the Inland Empire has long had the answer to an argument advanced in the house of representatives by Congressman Robert Rich of Pennsylvania concerning the construction of Grand Coulee and other dams on the Columbia river. "Let me call your attention to a feature in connection with protection of these dams, "Congressman Rich argued. "One of these Russian airplanes could come across the north pole and drop a five-ton bomb onto the Coulee dam, break it asunder and the rushing water would wipe out all of the people in Washington and Oregon below the dam. A military airplane from any of the Asiatic or European countries could do that." Soon after construction work started at Grand Coulee it was suggested the military department station a detail of anti-aircraft at the dam site for protection against aircraft. Protect Vital Points. Part of the argument Spokane has advanced for location of a regular air base has been the quick advance that could be made from such a base for the protection of Grand Coulee and other power and rail centers. "Congressman Rich is probably right in his argument, but certainly this nation is not going to stop the advance of electrical and reclamation progress simply because of fear," said Harold Jones, chairman of the aviation committee of the Chamber of Commerce. "He has made our argument for a regular army air base in Spokane and for the allocation of an anti-aircraft detail of either national guard or regular army at Grand Coulee."