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Aviation History
1909
1909 - 0437.PDF
JULY 24, 1909. courageous as the original plan proved, the actual per- formance of the National Airship Fund far eclipses the most sanguine expectations that could have been enter- tained by the public at the time it was launched, for it is now absolutely certain that one vessel of the rigid kind -will be possessed by the Army, and, in addition, there is •every likelihood of another being owned. Scarcely any terms of admiration can be too high to employ concerning such an achievement. Now the public is in possession of the information of what has been done so speedily and unostentatiously, we cannot conceive that there can be any delay in the required sum of ^20,000 becoming fully subscribed. Half that money has been raised already in response to the appeal before it was passible to publish any information as to what steps were being taken on behalf of the National Airship Fund to ensure that the money should be spent to good purpose, that there should be no undue delay, and to prove that an actual machine of a kind second-to- none, would be actually forthcoming. The progress is inspiringin the highest degree, and should cause all patriots, whether they can afford a shilling or a thousand pounds, to send some contribution to the funds. The only possible doubt now is that those whose attention is drawn to the situation may falsely conclude that the very satisfactoriness of the present enterprise will ensure the money being fully subscribed, and therefore consider that there is no need personally for them to contribute. That way danger lies. There is need for everybody who can, to contribute forthwith. To wait for others to take on themselves the duties of patriotism is a poor thing indeed. Contributors now have tangible evidence that their money is not to be spent on an experiment, but on a machine that is guaranteed to comply with certain admittedly stiff conditions, very various in their nature. We have, therefore, the heartiest confidence in recom- mending all those who are interested in the matter of seeing this country take its due place in regard to the development of aerial locomotion to support the National Airship Fund, contributions to which should be addressed to the Hon. Secretary, National Airship Fund, Morning Post Offices, 346, Strand, W.C., and cheques should be crossed Lloyds Bank, Law Courts Branch. The fact that it is foreign airships which are being taken in hand by this fund is not any argument against sub- scribing to it, because the need at the moment is to secure examples of the very best that can be achieved by those abroad, who are admittedly far ahead of public British performance. As soon as we shall have such vessels, there will be reliable ground for British manufac- turers to go on in the starting of a home industry. It is largely from this point of view that we, whose sole concern is the development of flight in Britain, urge alike those who are interested in the sport, the science, and the industry of aeronautics, to support this great and eminently practical first attempt to awaken the nation to the possibilities of aerial locomotion by the indisputably prompt and effective process of ocular demonstration, and to put the authorities in possession of absolutely serviceable air-craft. Let us remember that the thing needs doing once, and once only. This is not an appeal that will have to be repeated periodically. The certain and urgent need of the country is being met, once and for all, in supplying it with the most perfect dirigible balloon possible to be produced in the present state of the science, whereby the masses will become enabled to realise the worth and significance of the new development. It is the pressure of that self-same public that will be brought automatically to bear on whatever Government shall be in power in the future whensoever it shall be necessary to urge the expenditure of public money on the exploitation of aerial navigation for national uses. Any- thing which influences the electorate in the direction of demanding the adequate representation for Great Britain as regards airships and other flyers is therefore much to be desired, alike from the point of view of the patriot as from that of the aeronautic movement. Once get the ball fairly started rolling by adopting the present " emergency " policy of obtaining by public subscription what the Government coffers ought to supply, and the deadly inertia of red tapeism will cease to remain the danger that it has now been for some months. The one crucial opportunity to bring about that delectable state of affairs is at hand. Let us not allow it to escape. LATHAM'S CHANNEL FLIGHT.—Hubert Latham and his machine immediately after falling into the sea. Itwill be noticed that Mr. Latham is standing up in the middle of the flyer, where he was quietly waiting for the French torpedo destroyer "Harpon" to take him on board, in the meantime calmly smoking a cigarette. 439
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