FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1915
1915 - 0408.PDF
? j "A writer of sensational fiction who should have entured before the war to depict such a combat between an airship and a small monoplane; who should have shown the aeroplane upset, righted in the air, forced to descend in enemy country; who should then have allowed his hero to succeed in restarting his engine, and to return unhurt to his base, would have been derided as a purveyor of grotesque impossibilities. All these things happen to-day, and are announced without a hint that that they are anything out of the common." Yet we take leave to think that, without in one iota belittling the great deed of Lieut. Warneford, in the years to come it will be marvelled at that in the year 1915 such achievements were considered at all abnormal. • • • It is not out of place, perhaps, that so R i-d ^reat a revo'u^on m 'his old-fashioned " B.C" worid of ours as the establishment of aerial navigation should have attached to it records of another character. We refer immediately to the awarding of the V.C. to Lieut. Warneford, R.N., by the King, in the record time of about 24 hours. That the remarkable performance of this fearless officer should receive such instant recognition at the hands of the Sovereign, conveyed as it was by a personal telegram of congratulation from King George, is another Royal recognition of the inestimable value in which our newly created flying services are held. It is a glorious compli ment to the entire personnel, and the height of importance to which Aviation has risen in the estimation of the highest in the land, must be an unalloyed source of gratification to those who in the past have been respons ible for pressing the claims of the great science until it has by sheer weight of worth come into its own in this epoch-making year of 1915. Mr. Winston Churchill is one who is much to be thanked by the Nation in general, and the Aviation industry in particular. Against many obstacles he fought for the development of aircraft, and fortunately, in a small measure, got his way, just before it was too late. Equally fortunate was the nation in having at such critical times men of the calibre of Commodore Murray Sueter and General Henderson, who not only believed in the great future of air navigation, but personally understood the techniques of the supremacy which they sought to establish. The credit for all the developments which have eventuated in such magnificent results under these commanders' guiding hands has to be chiefly placed with them, as by their efforts with the Navy and the Army respectively the body of men have been brought together to form the present wonderful organisations which are the admiration of the world—in all probability not least in Germany itself. By attacking the prowling Zep. night-birds near their nests, when they return in the morning to roost, is unquestionably an effective way of neutralising their unconcealed preference for hiding their doings under a bushel. Truly there is more than enough in the ghastly methods of the mili tarised subjects of William the Poisoner to justify the description of them by Signor Salandra, the great Italian Premier, as being "an atavistic throw-back to primitive barbarism." Damage Although very late, we still welcome the by Aircraft announcement made on Tuesday night and last by the Premier, in reply to Sir G. National Parker, in the House of Commons, when Relief. tne Member for Gravesend asked whether, in the case of the destruction of property caused by the JUNB II, 1915. attacks of aircraft, such as occurred in the raid last week in the Thames District, it was proposed to grant com pensation to owners of property from public sources. Mr. Asquith, in reply, stated definitely that relief will be granted in these as in all previous cases, and he further added the information that the Government was considering the possibility of initiating a scheme of insurance of property. This is as it should be, and the sooner the details of the scheme are launched the better. In January last there was a promise made by the Prime Minister to take measures to deal with the damage sus tained as a result of the air raid on King's Lynn, &c. Since then, as far as we are concerned, we have no knowledge of any actual steps being taken to fulfil that promise, although it may be gathered from the above statement by Mr. Asquith that compensation has been made. At the time, in the issue of January 29th, we re corded the facts as they then existed, and once again in that article drew attention to the suggestion which FLIGHT has hammered in ever since the middle of October last year, that the destruction brought about by the visits of the German air fleet should be a national liability, and not one to be borne by the individual citizen, whether it represented damage to his property or loss of life in his household. In October last we made a very strong appeal in this direction, pointing out that the amount of compensation, in comparison to the enormous number of premiums which were being raked in by the insurance brokers, would be negligible, and if an enormous profit was to be made out of the nervousness of the British public, then it was for the Government to see that that profit was secured for the nation. Had this suggestion been adopted when we made it, by this time there would have been in hand on behalf of the nation a very large premium income, to be drawn against in the comparatively few cases in which damage has accrued in connection with the visits of the Zeppelins. But instead of "this satisfactory state of affairs existing, very much to the contrary has come about. Even during the last few weeks the sum total of the fresh premiums must have been hugely increased, and therefore if the Government propose now to step in it will obviously be necessary for them to deal with this side of the question at the same time as they handle any new departure in the National Insur ance direction relating to aircraft damage. It has been stated by Sir Arthur Markham that in the event of the Government taking up this attitude the companies which have already issued policies have said they do not intend to pay claims where the Government funds will meet the case. Needless to say, such a subterfuge to avoid liability for their obligations should be provided for in any scheme put forward. There should be no difficulty in securing that in all cases where any property or person is already insured the insurers should meet their obligations in full under their policy. It should be a matter of easy adjustment for the National Insurance Fund to set matters right as between themselves and the insured in regard to any premium that may have been paid. This of course would apply only in the case of the Govern ment, without premium, compensating fully for any damage done. Under any National Insurance Scheme in the event of the Government premium being less than the underwriter's premium, then the difference between 408
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
