ized ▁as ▁an ▁independent ▁department ▁of ▁the ▁national ▁defense . ▁" The ▁recent ▁ocean ic ▁fl ights ", ▁he ▁said ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁" cou ple d ▁with ▁the ▁pre lim inary ▁tests ▁of ▁heavy ▁bomb ing ▁plan es , ▁have ▁start led ▁the ▁world ▁with ▁the ▁trem end ous ▁power ▁of ▁av iation . ▁A ircraft ▁have ▁generally ▁appeared ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁che apest ▁instruments ▁of ▁defense . ▁Now ▁they ▁prove ▁themselves ▁to ▁be ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁powerful ." ▁ ▁Later ▁life ▁After ▁his ▁Cong r essional ▁service , ▁he ▁res umed ▁the ▁independent ▁practice ▁of ▁law ▁in ▁Day ton , ▁with ▁partners ▁Thomas ▁H . ▁Ford , ▁and ▁Wayne ▁F . ▁Lee . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 2 7 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁delegate ▁to ▁the ▁Car neg ie ▁Foundation ' s ▁Inter - Par liament ary ▁Union ▁at ▁Paris , ▁Berlin , ▁Gene va , ▁and ▁London ▁to ▁study ▁methods ▁of ▁class ifying ▁international ▁law . ▁ ▁An ▁active ▁man , ▁Roy ▁Fitz ger ald ▁clim bed ▁Mount ▁Rain ier ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁and ▁four ▁years ▁later ▁sw am ▁the ▁Bos ph orus ▁from ▁Europe ▁to ▁Asia ▁in ▁a ▁cold ▁rain . ▁The ▁sw im ▁took ▁him ▁ 3 0 ▁minutes . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 1 9 3 4 , ▁Congress man ▁Fitz ger ald ▁purchased ▁a ▁Day ton - area ▁farm ▁from ▁Frederick ▁B . ▁P atter son , ▁president ▁of ▁National ▁C ash ▁Register ▁Cor