LAND RADIO EQUIPMENT.

AIRPLANE RADIO EQUIPMENT.

The magnitude of the production of special items involved may be gathered from such figures of expenditures as the following:

For vacuum tubes$1,650,600
For storage batteries5,315,350
For dry batteries602,470
For battery charging sets1,524,400

These are, of course, only some of the items. The total production authorized was valued at approximately $45,000,000.

The remarkable development and improvement of military radio equipment which has taken place under the direction of the Signal Corps during the last 18 months will undoubtedly materially change the system of Army communications and even the tactical use of military equipment and personnel. A typical example of this development is the airplane radio telephone, described elsewhere, the use of which has made possible the "voice-commanded air squadron." The military value of an air squadron has been enormously increased by virtue of this device, which enables the squadron commander to direct the movements of the individual airplanes in any manner which circumstances may require.

Certain other radio devices recently perfected, the nature of which can not be revealed, will undoubtedly affect the tactical use of troops to such an extent as to make certain kinds of radio equipment as indispensable to the operations of military units as the rifle or the machine gun.