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Aviation History
1915
1915 - 0506.PDF
The generous reference in the despatch to the assistance given by the R.F.C. by the French military authorities, particularly General Hirschauer, Director of the French Aviation Service, and his assistants, Col. Botticaux and Col. Stammler, emphasises the wholehearted co-operation which exists between our French allies and ourselves in the prosecution of this war for civilisation. The tribute to our allies' help very emphatically acknowledges the difficulties which exist in keeping up the necessary sup plies of material at the front for our flying forces, and more than ever helps us to appreciate the fatuousness of the suggested huge flights of aeroplanes, &c, to be brought into being within a period of a few weeks. Again it is entirely due to the work of our aeroplanes that the final quietus has been given to the Ronigsberg light cruiser, away up the river Rufigi in East Africa, where the German pirate has been lying low since October last. By no other means could this cruiser have been successfully disposed of by our river monitors. Our own cruisers could not get up the river to the jungle- hidden Konigsberg, and it was only by the aeroplanes directing the fire of the monitors that the whole of the guns of the German vessel were ultimately silenced and the ship finally rendered a total wreck. So closes one more glorious chapter in the history of the great new service, which before many years is destined to compel the remodelling of many fixed ideas as to the most economical mode of providing the best antidote to any war preparations which may be inaugurated by other world powers. «• «• «• National ^ 's extremely gratifying to us that at last Insurance a National Insurance scheme has been Against brought into being by the Government, Damage which, subject to any minor modifications by Aircraft. wnjcn jt may ^e deemed desirable to in corporate, appears to have in it all the elements of success. As the readers of Flight'are aware, our advocacy of such a scheme," whether in the form of National liability, or under some flat rates, as proposed in the new Bill,.has been persistent and consistent. As early as October, last year, we pointed out the enormous business which was being raked in by the underwriters, as a result of the Zeppelin scare which had taken hold of a section of the more timid inhabitants of these Isles. How far the flames of that scare were fanned by a carefully worked campaign in the Press, both editorially and through the advertisement columns, it is not necessary to now discuss. We presented our views pretty plainly of this side of the Zeppelin visits, at the time, and we submitted that in any event the circumstances were such that provided the Government could not see their way to assume entire liability in an Imperial way, then it was urgent they should at least formulate some scheme of insurance whereby the enormous premium profits which were going into private pockets should be diverted into the nation's Exchequer to serve as a help towards the growing expenditure brought about by the war. It was, however, left to Flight to continue to plough her lonely furrow, and that we were justified in continuing our demands for official action is, we think, more than upheld in the Bill which is going through this week, cover ing in its scope all the ground, which we have held from the I first should be turned into either a national liability or a national asset. As the latter it is as welcome as the former, as there must be but very few who will not now willingly pay their respective moderate premiums towards ensuring immunity from the very remote risk of their being the recipients of the haphazard attentions so promiscuously distributed by the Zeppeliners in their cut and run visits, JULY 16, 1915- especially in view of the fact that they will know that their individual premiums will now be going towards reducing, even if in a very moderate way, the direct cost of the war to the taxpayers. No doubt there were good reasons for "sitting on the fence " by the general press, not least perhaps the possible loss in these lean times of advertise ment revenue from those who were exploiting the fears of the community, which the introduction of such a measure as is now going through would involve. Although opinions will, no doubt, differ as to some of the rates of premiums to be charged, on the whole we gather that the Bill meets with general approval. Private insurers will be able to cover all aircraft risks at the low cost of 2s. per cent, per annum, whilst farmers and owners of other buildings will be very little worse off in the charge made to them. Probably the section of the community."which will reap most benefit from the scheme is the importer and trader who hitherto has had to pay £1 to 30^. per cent, per month on goods whilst lying at the docks. In most cases there was no getting away from this charge, as practically no bank would look at the security without the air- risk being reasonably covered. By reason of the Tariff Insurance Companies keeping outside this class of business traders were perforce driven into the hands of the underwriters, who, for a consideration which was weekly growing more onerous as their commitments bulked up, were willing to turn an honest penny, and thus help towards the trade of the country.running along smoothly. We do not in the least blame the underwriters. Quite the reverse. All credit is due to them for the way in which as usual they took up such a business risk. They naturally had to protect themselves, and with such a novel aud unknown quantity to provide against they no doubt were not too particular on the side of moderation in premium. Lloyd's members have therefore had a very fine run for their money, and have probably had the cream of the business, so they have nothing to grumble about. Moreover, there is nothing to prevent them still taking up as much further business in the same direction as hitherto, with just the one difference that they are now up against a competitive tariff. They will probably have to undercut to secure anything like a remunerative share of the insurance business. No doubt the flat rates of the Government will open the way for underwriters to cater for some classes of less inflammable merchandise, but on the whole, taking one thing with an other, we fancy the general run of insurer will prefer the backing of the Government to any guarantee from private enterprise. All the big insurance companies who have hitherto held aloof from aircraft risks for well-known reasons, should benefit considerably by the Government measure, as, with out any risk whatever to themselves, the whole scheme is practically to be carried out by means of their marvellous organisations, although it is true the Government can be dealt with direct by those preferring that procedure. This is also in accordance with the suggestion put for ward in Flight, and we congratulate the President of the Board of Trade upon the admirable way in which the whole scheme has been elaborated, whilst maintaining the greatest simplicity in detail. The full text of the statement by Mr. Runciman ih Parliament is given in Flight on page 517, this week, together with the table of premiums which it is proposed to charge. We have little doubt but that the Bill as submitted will pass the House without any material alteration, and, as the President of the Board of Trade has stated, there is no reason why the scheme should not be in full operation within a week from date.
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