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Aviation History
1911
1911 - 0924.PDF
1/lKWTj OCTOBER 28, 1911. E The categorical statement made by the for Aerial Paris ^aA'» recently to the effect that Defence. Prince Henry of Prussia has presented a long memorandum to the German Emperor, embodying the results of his experience and experiments in flying, and asking that no less a sum than a million and a half sterling should be devoted next year to the purchase of aeroplanes for the German army, does not appear to have attracted a great deal of attention in this country. Possibly now that Parliament is sitting once more, Lord Haldane may be asked whether he is able to give any information as to the German plans for increasing the aerial armaments of the Fatherland, and the stock reply will be given that the Government is without information in the matter. Then it will drop into official oblivion until such time as next year's German estimates come before the Reichstag and we discover that someone else has stolen a march upon us. If the Matin's story is correct—and it has all the appearance of verisimilitude—Prince Henry expresses his conviction that the dirigible has had its day and that the future is with the aeroplane—which is precisely what has become generally evident for a considerable time past. Still, according to our French contemporary, H.R.H goes on to deplore the fact that the German materiel is far inferior to that of France, and points out that this is due to the fact that the German industry has not received enough encouragement from the State, and that this has resulted in Germany having to have recourse to other countries for the most efficient machines. n„, u„~,„ If we read Great Britain for Germany, the Our Home , . , . _ . rT , •" Policy. complaints made in Prince Henry s report would exactly fit our case—except that they scarcely go far enough. But" it is ,when he comes to figures that Prince Henry would make our own financial and military authorities fairly gasp for breath. Imagine! A million and a half sterling to be devoted to increasing the efficiency of Germany's military aeroplane service ! Possibly—even probably—no such sum will be voted, at any rate for meeting the necessities of a single year, though the Germans certainly do know how to make sacrifices when it is the efficiency of their fighting services that is at stake, but it may be taken as read that the next estimates will embody a good round sum for the purposes indicated by Prince Henry. We are so busy with more or less visionary schemes of social reform that nobody seems to want and which promise to cost many millions of money, that a few paltry thousands is all we are likely to get for the purchase of new materiel and the training of our air corps, and for purposes of encouragement—nothing. In the meantime, France goes steadily ahead with the perfection of her aerial resources. With a wise prevision she has set out on the task of creating a stable industry, and to that end is offering every encouragement to constructors to improve the breed of the machine, while to the men who fly the helping hand is extended at every turn. We are getting tired of pointing the same old moral. We had, in the Auto, in what are now the old days, the same unthankful task to perform in the case of the motorcar and its development. Then, as now, France had left us almost, it appeared, hopelessly behind. But we have recovered our ground—indeed, we have done more, for we have passed our rival in the great race for supremacy of product and position in the markets of the world. By analogy, the same thing should happen in the case of the aeroplane. At least, it would appear that this is likely to be so, until we come to examine things in their true bearings. Th F h ^e are s*ow to begin, *s tne argument, but Leading. once we start we have a habit of moving so quickly that we rapidly overtake and pass our rivals. Now, if the development of the aeroplane was a purely mechanical and commercial matter, we might be content to simply deplore that we have been left so far behind in the race and to wonder when our constructors would take heart of grace and really begin to move. But when we come to look around us, we see that there is, in fact, but one nation which has so far made anything like real progress with its industry, that country, naturally, being France. The reason for this is, not that the French Government is any more enamoured than our own of doing the work that should be carried out by the private individual, but that the authorities have brought more imagination to bear upon the problem of the aeroplane in its relation to national defence than those of our own or other countries. Right from the beginning the French Government has taken a parental interest in the development of the new science, simply and solely because it unerringly recognised that the aeroplane of the future must become almost the dominating factor in matters of defence and aggression. In a word, it had imagination enough to see that the wars of the coming era will be decided in the air in some way or other, and that the Power which first secures command of that unstable medium is likely to hold it. The rest have been simply playing with the problem, but now the portents foretell an awakening to the needs of the new situation—except so far as we are concerned. We go muddling on in the dear old way ! The We think it is opportune to remind our . readers that it is stiil possible for a few Society. ^ays ^or tnem to become members of this, the oldest aeronautical body in the world, at the old rate of subscription, viz., one guinea, although after the end of the present month (Oct. 31), they can only secure admission on payment of the new rate of two guineas. In days gone by we have often had to break out into criticism of this the premier scientific body in aeronautics, and so far from regretting it we are glad to think that we have had some small share in bringing about the reform and rejuvenation of a most useful institu tion. Under its new constitution, we believe that the Society has a long career of usefulness before it, and that it will contribute very materially to the advancement of the science it exists to foster. It begins its new year under the happiest auspices, with new blood introduced to its Council—which, truth to telL was badly needed— and with, we are convinced, a truer conception of its duty to the movement than it has ever had before. We wish it all success lor the future. 926
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