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Aviation History
1912
1912 - 0888.PDF
I/O GHT! OCTOBER 5, 1912. EDITORIAL COMMENT. It is far from our wish or intention to Ob" t^L preach from the text of the pessimist-critic JC<fromeSSOn wno can see no Booa^ m "^ own country France. and the burden of whose sermon is that every other nation does the things that are right, the while our own people and authorities allow things to go to the " demnition bow-wows." On the con trary, we have enough of robust faith in the British characteristic of attaining the goal ultimately to believe that we are by no means out of the race in comparison with our rivals, whether that comparison be taken as it affects us industrially or in the matter of armaments or in any other direction that may be chosen for the purpose. But because we think that way is no reason why we should allow insularity to ignore the object-lessons which are presented to us by the doings of others. It is by watching those doings and assimilating what they teach that we learn the things of which we are ignorant, the while, on the other hand, others by the same process are learning from us. Particularly in matters affecting avia tion is this doctrine true at the moment. We have made progress—much progress—in the learning and under standing of the many complex problems which beset the still infant science of flight. Indeed, we have gone so far along the road that we may now say in all sincerity that there are things connected with aviation which we understand better than some at least of our most active competitors, and the knowledge of which we can exchange for the tangible' results of their own investigation. To put the matter in a nut shell, the science, per se, is as well understood by our own constructors as by those of any other nation, and though we are in common with others still in process of learning, we are at least advancing step for step with them. When, however, we come to consider the application of that knowledge to the most important phase of the aerial movement—its bearing on national defence—we are driven to the conclusion that in spite of all that has been done, and is in process of doing, we still lag woefully behind. We say this with the fullest appreciation of what has been done by our authorities, and with a sense of the intense keenness which the personnel of the Royal Flying Corps have brought to bear on their work. What is lacking, to our way of thinking, is the want of a real public apprehension of what is taking place abroad, which can best be described as an absence of a true sense of proportion, and a lack of knowledge of what others are doing. The past week has brought us as eloquent an object-lesson from France of our hopeless inferiority in the air, translated into terms of defence. At Villacoublay, a few days ago, the French War Minister, M. Millerand, held what has been described in the French papers as the first serious aerial review. No less than seventy-two aero planes, complete with motor supply wagons and all the equipment necessary for active service in the field, were paraded for his inspection. And these were no carpet- knights of the air, for each and every one of these machines had flown at least a thousand miles without serious mishap during the course of the recent manoeuvres, and, after the Minister's inspection, most of them proceeded by way of the air, in the most matter-of-fact sort of manner, to their various stations in every part of France, and, so far as the records take us, they all arrived without delay or mishap at their several destinations. 888 It is difficult for us here in England, where .the problems of aerial defence are but imperfectly under stood by the average citizen to adequately realise what this means. Seventy-two efficient aeroplanes, complete with every accessory and adjunct, all ready for instant flight—a bigger fleet than we shall possess all told for the next twelve months—and this only a moiety of France's full aerial power! We do not propose to argue that the exigencies of our own Services necessarily calls for an aerial fleet equal to that of France or of any other first- class military power. That is a question of strategic requirements upon which we do not feel ourselves com petent or called upon to offer a definite opinion so we refrain. But a few days ago it was laid down by a famous general officer that air-craft had made the possi bility of a successful invasion of these islands much more remote than it had ever been It is not a matter for the professional strategist to demonstrate that theoretical air-craft will not stave off a successful invasion—that is an elementary fact which the meanest intellect is capable of grasping. The air-craft that are to make the attempt of the invader abortive must be in esse—for them merely to be in posse will not avail in the hour of stress. As we have said already, while we fully appreciate the efforts of those who, in the face of discouragement, have done their level best with the all too limited means at their disposal to evolve as an auxiliary to our Army and Navy an efficient air-corps, we feel that we should be doing less than our duty did we not call attention upon every possible occasion to the backwardness of this country in the matter of its aerial defences. It is only by taking the moral of such significant happenings as this aerial review by M. Millerand that we can hope to adequately impress upon the public and the authorities how urgently necessary it is, how absolutely essential for the security of the country, that we should arrive at a just and full appreciation of the enormous importance to which air-craft have attained in the organisation of Continental armies. That moral is so patently manifest that it needs not repetition. To India ^° ^ar ^rom ttle ProJect for a flight from by Air. London to India, to which reference was made in our editorial columns earlier in the year, having been dropped, it is now announced that an attempt to carry it out will probably be made before the end of the year. Several native Indian princes are taking a very active interest in the arrangements, and by way of showing their practical sympathy in the scheme have promised substantial money prizes. With the able co-operation of the Royal Geographical Society, the route has been mapped out, and from the particulars given on page 898 it will be seen that it is almost direct from London to Karachi. The question of supplies has been thoroughly gone into, and it is proposed that the daily- stages should be of 400 miles, so that twelve days would be required for the trip. All that apparently remains, therefore, is to select the most favourable time for the attempt. So far as we are able to see, there are no practical difficulties in the wav of success, and from the point of view that it would afford a far-reaching and widely understood demonstration of the perfection to which the aeroplane has attained, the project has our heartiest sympathy.
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