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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0326.PDF
I I/QGHT) Government office-holder has the effrontery to say that no friction exist* to his knowledge, only difference of opinion. In other words, want of unanimity, and there fore "nothing doing." This political Parliamentary jugglery is becoming about the most refined form of "legal crime" it is possible to conceive. It would not, perhaps, matter so much when only applied to one or other of the fatuous vote catching so-called social problem committees which members of the pre- Coalition Government were wont to throw across the •cent, when too closely pressed by honourable members or the great " B.P." wanting to know, you know. When this sort of trickery, however, is brought into operation in connection with such a vital factor in the successful carrying on of the war which Aviation is proving itself to be, it is about time to cry a halt and demand to have the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, &c. It is with the most sincere feelings of pleasure, therefore, that we welcome the retirement of Lords Derby and Montagu from such an anomalous position, so that they once more acquire their freedom of action to attempt to set right what they know is radically wrong. It strikes us as being far from courteous either to Parliament or to public opinion, the tone, almost amounting to flippancy, adopted by the Prime Minister himself towards many of the questions which have been put forward with honest intent in behalf of the Nation's welfare. After a date— April ijth—having practically been promised for a full discussion on the Air Question, Mr. Asquith coolly waives the whole question aside without naming a date with a remark amounting practically to the effect that it makes no difference when the subject is gone into. This, on the top of his statement that " he understood that the subject had been a good deal discussed in the House during the last three weeks," would appear as if War in the Air had but little interest or concern with him or the Government, else would he know what has been going on with such vigour during the past month or more. Again, no doubt with but one fixed and unalterable idea in the back of his head as to the insurmountable barrier of antagonism existing between the two Services, Mr. Asquith was par ticularly autocratic in his reply to Mr. Warwick Brookes. It was not possible, he said, to consider the problem of the future air policy of the country as a whole "apart from the requirements of the Army and Navy." Why, in the name of Heavens, not ? We fancy that before many moons have waned either Mr. Asquith or some other Prime Minister will have to reverse this very dogmatic view. In this connection we are content to " wak and see" with every confidence in the ultimate outcome. It becomes daily more and more evident that the real value of the Air Services is not in the least realised nor understood by many of those responsible for the carrying on of this Empire. It is still regarded as a "side show" of the Navy and the Army at will. Its supreme importance during this war and in the years to follow does not appear to have been grasped by the Government as yet even in its elementary principles. All they appear to be concerned about is to lull the public into a false sense of security for the time being, through the medium of their bogus reform com mittee, bound hand and foot beforehand so that it is im possible for it to remain other than a purely passive buffer to attacks levelled against those who are really responsible for any neglect of office. Why, even the Liberal War Committee has passed a resolution urging the creation of an Aircraft Department under the direc- APRIL 20, 1916. tion of a Minister responsible to Parliament. It is in fact clear from almost every quarter that the time is over-ripe for such a departure, and however drastic such a change may be at such a period in our history, its very importance makes it but more imperative that the neces sary re-organisation should take place whatever vested in terests or feelings may suffer in the process. As to a definite plan of action, there is already in being the scheme put forward last week by Mr. Pemberton Billing. We do not suggest that this is a perfect scheme, and we are satisfied that Mr. Pemberton Billing does not claim perfection for it. As a broad basis by way of a start, however, there is ample scope for elaboration and modification, and if the Government will only take hold of it in an absolutely unbiassed manner, there should be no reason for a workable organisation, by way of a com mencement, not being evolved. There are also the views, in the same connection, of Lord Montagu which he has submitted to the Cabinet. These for the time being are not available for discussion, but without doubt they can be advantageously taken into consideration, side by side with the plans of Mr. Pemberton Billing. To reject these constructive schemes without putting forward some alternative proposals, will be a losing game by the Government, we verily believe. They cannot afford either Imperially or—what is probably of even more con cern to them—politically to further retard the claims of the Air problem, which promises with every month to assert its far-reaching powers for influencing the result of the present struggle more emphatically even than in the past. Is it possible that at the bottom of all this busi ness there is the hatching of a political coup d'etat, which may bring about chaos in many directions—even in directions in which least expected ? The boomerang is a deadly weapon when manipulated expertly, but it has a way of doing nasty tricks occasionally. A number of things are being done under cloak of the Defence of the Realm Act, some of which the people may live to regret. We sincerely trust that the affairs of the Air will not be nobbled under these arbitrary powers. In the meantime it is a source of gratification to us to know that the views, in the main, as now disclosed by the two great champions of Airism, are practically identical with those which have been advocated in the columns of " FLIGHT," in spite of the fact that we cannot claim to have been vouchsafed beforehand the inner knowledge of the views of either Lord Montagu or Mr. Pemberton Billing. • • •* It will be remembered that some weeks The ago we suggested that the then newly ^"ituf eiected member for East Herts would find Schools. ready to his hand for an enquiry, the status, present and future, of the private flying schools. Last week, Mr. Pemberton Billing was able to get in a question upon this subject in Parliament. The query to the Under-Secretary for War was whether the principals and instructors of the civilian schools of aviation, who are doing good work in the making and training of pilots, were being called up under the Military Service Act, and whether the authorities realised the value of these training establishments, and in such case Mr. Billing asked for an assurance that the Government would take such action as to enable them to continue their national work. Mr. Tennant, as usual, dodged the direct question by saying that principals and instructors of these schools would, where possible and under certain conditions when called up under the Act, be placed in the R.F.C. Mr. Billing, however, pressed for something
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