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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0230.PDF
1/LlGHTj class of weapon. Nor mu»t it be forgotten that in the case of equip ment for aerial waifare we have to contend with the great difficulties due to the stupendous and wholly unexpected efforts which this country has been called upon to make. But I should be sorry to fay anything that might be taken as an admission that there was no other side to the picture than the some what depressing picture which h is been drawn by Lord Montagu. Tne improvement in the quality of our military equipment has been very remarkable indeed. In the first place, as far as warfare at the front is concerned, we have certainly not been outclassed by our opponents. I say that in regard to the quality of our equipment. In regard to quantity, I am told that, taking first the number of machines, the output per month is at the present moment twen'y times that of peace, and this will more than double itself during the summer, and that in spite of the fact that there ha< been a large percentage of casualties, which, I am glad to say, have all been replaced. With regard to aeroplanes, the output per week is about three-quarter* of that for the whole of the year ended August, 1914. All the original types of aeroplanes which accompanied the Exp:- ditionary Force in August, 1914, have now been replaced by some thing better, and thi-i progress continues. With regard to the number of units, I am told that by the end of the month the number of squadrons abroad will be eight times those which accompanied the Expeditionary Force in August, 19(4. I mention this because there is a certain tendency 11 lose night of what has actually been done by those responsible for oaf Air Service, and for the important results which they have accomplished. With regard to air raids on this country, so far as our experience has gone, I should Ire inclined to say tha' what people have resented most is not so much the extent of the damage that has been done by those raids as the impunity with which tney have been carried out. So far as the success of those raids goes, I doubt whether their material or moral effects hwe been at all considerable in pro portion to the effort which they must have cost our enemies. It is true that there has ban a regrettable loss of life, particularly among non-combatants, and that there has been considerable destruction of buildings. But I do not think it will be said that those occurrences, however regrettable, have really advanced the cause of our enemies or brought them any nearer to a satisfactory conclusion of the war. As regards their moral effect, I cerrainly have neither seen nor heard any sign of panic, although there has been a feeling of very deep indignation, accompmied by a resolve to support the authorities in any precautionary measures which can be taken to guard against HMM raids. I say that without any idea of suggesting that we desire lo ignore the warning with which my noble friend concluded his speech. On the contrary, we do fully realise that this danger of invasion by air craft is a very real danger, that it is one that might at any moment threaten the bases of our Armies abroad, and that it is our duty to take every possible precaution to meet it. There is no idea of suggesting that inferior guns01 less trained gunners should be employed on this service. On the contrary, it is intended that the best guns and the best men shall be appointed, and that the air service shall be regarded as interchangeable wiih service at the front. The main complaint madi is that the air service is wanting in organisa tion, that there has been a dispersal of effort, a scramble between the two services, and the absence of a comprehensive and directing policy. As to policy, I am not quite sure that I know what is in our critics' mind. I trunk I do know what is in their mind, when they talk of military policy or naval policy, although I shall always maintain that the two form part of a single policy for the defence of the country, and, for the matter of that, for the defence of the Empire—a single policy directed by a single controlling Govern ment. I find it as difficult to think of a separate air policy as of a separate military policy or a separate Wkval policy, because, unless 1 am greatly mistaken, the air service must bj to a great extent auxiliary to the Army and Navy. The Navy will always insist upon having an air service of its own, and a like claim will be put forward by the Array. The proper way of looking at the question is to recognise the air service as a most important ally to the other two services, to put it alongside of them, and to see that if there is a tripartite policy it is really directed from one controlling source and in accordance with the general needs of the country and the Empire. We are asked, whit have we been doing. We have appointed the Joint Air Committee. It is presided over by Lord Derby, a pub ic man who stands very high in th- estimation of his fellow- countrymen, lie i' not in the Cabinet, bat he is as well known, at least, as most members of the Cabinet. He is certainly in a position which will not deny him any opportunities which he may seek for 33 ® A New Use for Aeroplanes. How an aeroplane can be used to assist long distance telephone engineering is indicated by a report from America that when recent MARCH 16, 1916. ascertaining the mind of the Government and keeping in the closest possible contact with their councils. On the committee there are three distinguished officers representing the Admiralty, two representing the War Office, and as it may summon 10 its a-sistance advi-ory members, there is an opening for calling in that special scientific knowledge upon which Loid Haldane so properly insisted. One of the committee, Sir DaviJ H-mderson, has just b.-en appiin.ed a member of the Army Council ; and the ommittee is to have for its secretary and a-sistant >ecretary the secretaries if the Committee of Imperial Defence, whose knowledge and experience will be of great value. The committee is to have a free hand to deal with questions of design, produciion and distribution. I think that reference overs the points upon which Lord Mon'agu insisted as being the most important. It is also lo be remembered that it is precisely in regard to those questions that ou'side criticism has been most p-onounced. When I am told that the Derby Committee should be in a position to deal with air policy, I would say that general policy cannot be dealt with apart from those three questions. To sum up the functions of the Derby Committee, its business will be to ensure that the manufacture of supplies and the distribution of material shall be in accordance with the policy of aerial warfare laid down by the Government. It is faid that the recent speech of Lord Derby in this House showed that the scope of his functions was necessarily limited. I think Lord Derby's language has been rather unfairly interpreted. I heard Lord Derby's speech. I admit it might have left an impression on some minds that Lord Derby was desiring to minimise the importance of his own committee. What I think Lord Derby really wanted to explain was that he had no executive functions, and that for that reason he was not to be held in any way responsible for the air defence of London or the United Kingdom. That is perfectly true, but, while not having any executive functions, with that reservation, the position ot Lord Derby and his committee is extremely powerful, and there is no portion of the field of inquiry from which he and his colleagues are excluded. Lord Derby will, I am sure, be glad to give the House information about the work of his committee. I may be asked why, having gone so far, we do not pluck up a little more courage and appoint a minister with a full-blown depart ment subordinate to him. We shall not be deterred from making an arrangement of that kind because it would add one more to a somewhat numerous Cabinet. But it does not seem to me that such an arrangement would give any advantage beyond that derived from the present arrangement. Although I have readily admitted there are imperfections to be removed, it has never been established to my satisfaction that the only way to remove them is to appiint a Cabinet Minister to deal with them. What really matters is the essence of the arrangement, not the particular style or title ou give. A great many of the mistakes are the mistakes of subordinates which would have been committed even with a Cabinet Minister at the head of the department. As he matter s'ands we have a very strong committee with a strong man at the head, and we have given them access to every source of information, and to every branch of the subject of aerial warfare. We have given them liberal instructions which we trust will be interpreted in a liberal sense. That is a business-like arrangement, which is a great advance on anything we have had. It promises well, but I am not here to say that in our opinion there should be any finality about this arrangement or that we exclude altogether the possibility of further development. Experience will show whether the present arrangement will work, and what further changes are desirable. Meanwhile I am not prepared to admit the country is undergoing any detriment because we have s;opped at this point. The com mittee h doing its work Well, and we may trust it to take advantage of the wide latitude which has been given to it. I tru*t the committee will not disregard the emphatic warning which the noble lord has given to it and to the country. Viscount Midleton asked that the pressure of public opinion should not be allowed to influence officers to fly at night in unsafe conditions. The Marquess of Lansdowne promised that the matter should be considered. Lord Montagu said he had no reason to complain of the attitude of the Government except that he feared they did not yet realise how important the subject was. He thought the position was bound to be regarded as unsatisfactory when we had only one engine to every three planes, and that engine not the best kind. He hoped the Derby Committee would tffee: an improvement, and would itself become something like the Bjard of Aviation he desired. ® & floods at San Diego, Cal., destroyed the telephone wire an aero plane carried a rope across the flooded di-ttict, and with this rope a telephone cable was hauled through the water, thus enabling a connection to be made between the broken lines. 230
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