Colonel House to Woodrow Wilson

This war, I think, can be won in one of two ways. It must either be by artillery or by superior air craft. It seems as if the maximum has been reached in the artillery branch. Anyway, we are not prepared, and cannot be for a long time, to compete with the other belligerents in artillery.
We can, however, overwhelm the enemy by superiority in the air. It is our one chance of putting the finishing touches on the war in the Spring of 1918. We can do to Germany more than she is doing to the Allies through her submarines.
I have gone into this matter exhaustively, not only through my experience on the other side, but I have discussed it in detail with General Bridges and other members of the British and French Missions and also with our own people including many fliers who have seen service in France.
Unless the war is to drag along indefinitely we must do something original and radical.Secretary Baker, through General Squier, has an admirable organization started. What it now needs is assurance from you that you desire the thing done on the biggest scale possible. If you will give the word, and will stand for an appropriation of one billion dollars, the thing is done.
England, I am told, spent a billion last year on her air service. We can do three times as much with the same amount because we have their mistakes to profit by, and because our industrial conditions are peculiarly fitted for the building of air craft. Their construction will not in any way interfere with our other preparations. This has been carefully looked into.
It is the only expenditure that will be made during the war for war purposes, other than the building of merchantmen, that will be of any lasting benefit to this country or the world.Page has just sent through the State Department this message to Howard Coffin:“General Smuts on his own initiative requested me to transmit following message: 'The decision of this war lies in the air and complete victory can only be won by ten or more thousand airplanes with which enemy aircraft can be annihilated. This achievement would be worthy of America, is a contribution which she alone is capable of making, and would enable her to dictate peace' ”.General Smuts, as you know, is a very able, liberal minded, far-seeing man.
I have not written you about this before because I wanted to be satisfied that the suggestion was worthy of your personal consideration and attention.Magnolia, Massachusetts.June 17, 1917.