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Aviation History
1909
1909 - 0202.PDF
APRIL IO, 1909. THE meeting of the Aerial League of the British Empire at the Mansion House on Monday, over which the Lord Mayor presided, was in the nature of a historic function. It witnessed the first official recognition that the City of London has accorded to the importance of the subject of human flight from the national point of view. The Lord Mayor observed that Britain was justly proud of having taught other nations how best to navigate the sea and how to build the best ships ; consequently he hoped that we would not be behind in the matter of navigating the air. It has been said that it would be a very good thing for us if we woke up one fine morning to find a hugh dirigible floating over Mansion House Place. The Chief Magistrate of the City of London, however, made it quite plain that the only airship he would like to see floating over his official residence was one flying the Union Jack and one capable pf beating the best that could be built abroad. While admitting that if dynamite were to be dropped from the clouds on to warships in addition to attacks from torpedoes, submarines and the rest, life in the navy would become rather precarious, Admiral Sir Percy Scott pointed out that he had spent a large proportion of his time in considering ways and means rather of destroying aerial craft than of construct- ing them, with the result that there had been got out a design of gun which should prove pretty formidable in daytime. But we have to reckon with darkness, and, with characteristic humour, he observed that he had never met the gunner who could teach a man how to hit an object that he could not see. Thus the only satisfactory method of defence against attacks from aerial craft is to be found, in the view of the gallant Admiral, in the possession of flying machines, and in that connection he revealed himself a staunch believer in the establishment by Britain of a two-power standard in airships. He concluded by observing that the Colonies were offering us Dreadnoughts, but that we must supply ourselves with airships. That point is one well worth pondering, particularly in view of some words that fell from Colonel Templer, late of the Balloon Department at Aldershot, and of the purposes for which the Aerial League has been estab- lished. He suggested that the citizens of London should raise money, and ask the Aerial League to construct an airship with the funds for presentation to the nation. We contend that for the Aerial League of the British Empire either to accept such an office, or to raise moneys from among its own members for the purpose of pre- senting an aerial vessel to the Empire, is diametrically opposed to the fundamental principles of its establish- ment. It is not a society for relieving the Government of one farthing of its due financial responsibilities. To the contrary, if it is to do any useful work at all, it must be wholly in the direction of keeping the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Admiralty, and the War Office alive to the necessity of furnishing the country with the best possible equipment for aerial warfare. The two lines of conduct are not compatible; hence it will be necessary for the Aerial League to make a very clear statement of its policy in this connection at an early date. At the moment we do not consider that the remarks of Colonel Templer, though made at a meeting of the Aerial League, are in any form expressions of the policy of that body. It would be almost as absurd for the Navy League to build Dreadnoughts for presentation to the Admiralty, with a view to enabling the Chancellor of the Exchequer to make a popular Budget statement, as it would be to attempt to awaken the Government to the necessity for providing funds for experimental and constructional work in con- nection with the evolution of an aerial fleet, by setting about deliberately to relieve it of responsibility in the matter. As Prince Louis of Battenberg wrote in a letter that was read out at the meeting: " It is time we woke up, seeing what is being done on the Continent." In the words of Lord Curzon : "To a country possessing a maritime frontier, the question of aerial navigation is of the utmost importance." Another matter brought out at the meeting was the assurance given, in his official capacity, by Mr. Stephen Marples, one of the Honorary Secretaries, firstly, to the effect that the Aerial League was not a rival to, nor designed to usurp the promise of any existing scientific, sporting, or social aeronautical institution. This is a pledge worthy to be recorded, and one which must be fulfilled with the utmost scrupulousness. Mr. Marples also laid stress on the fact that the League was " not an association of scaremongers." The moderate tone that characterised the bulk of the speakings was no less com- mendable than helpful; but towards the end of the meeting there were uttered by one speaker some remarks that came perilously near the tone of the " scaremongers." Tendencies of this sort must be suppressed with un- hesitating promptitude and firmness. The gospel of sensationalism should be shunned by the League even as men shun the plague. " Money, skill, experience, and room" are the four requisites laid down by Sir Hiram Maxim as being essential to the achievement of success in flight. Pro- fessor Hele-Shaw pointed out that the development of land and water travel had been through the peaceful courses of commerce; whereas, he ventured the opinion that the purposes of war would be the cause of the most practical and prompt evolution of machines for aerial loco- motion. Moreover, development in that direction must be a State matter. That public opinion can be educated and organised in the direction of rousing whatever Government chances to be in power in these Islands to a realisation of the need that exists for Britain to be possessed of a finer equipment of flying machines than the best that can be done abroad was evidenced by the number of people who attended Monday's meeting at the Mansion House. The Lord Mayor said that it was the largest assemblage that he had seen in that hall for a matter of five years past. That is distinctly encouraging. The Aerial League of the British Empire is to be heartily congratulated on having made such an auspicious initial public effort, and it should take courage by likening its present proportions to what Milton styled "the baby figures of the giant things to come." There is such an amount of useful work for such a body to do that it will be very strange if it finds time ot exploit any undesirable policies. More than that cannot be said at the moment, for it is now for the Aerial League of the British Empire to prove by the nature of its works that it is in every sense of the term a worthy companion to the splendid Navy League that has become a national institution. 2C4
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