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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 0675.PDF
AUGUST IO, 1916. of the work of the f actory to manufacture on a large scale. In the second place, he was convinced it would revive and' increase the hostility of the trade. The view taken by the Government was that the main work of the factory must continue to be experimental rather than manufacturing But in regard to the trade he declared that it was the desire of the Government to encourage private manufacture. At a meeting of the Air Board thay had heard what the manufacturers had to say, and he had been rejoiced to hear how small was the area of complaint. Really what it came to was that they wanted more skilled labour to carry out a larger programme. With regard to the smaller charges against the factory- such as that there had been idleness, an excessive number of workmen employed, that it was a refuge of shirkers—all he could say was that so far as he had been able personally to go into them he had found great difficulty in getting them sub stantiated. But if the noble lord liked to put the charges about which he was satisfied there was sound evidence in a way in which they could be investigated he promised that it should be done. But he prayed the noble lord not to come down to the House and use it for ventilating matters too petty for their lordships' attention and incapable of reply, because no one had the material to meet them. In reply to the question as to what were the functions of the Royal Air Factory, he could define them as follows:—(1) Trial and experiment; (2) research; (3) preparation of drawings ; (4) repairs ; (5) the manufacture of " spares." He hoped he had shown that there was a very definite place in the military organisation of this country for the Royal Aircraft Factory, not only while the war was going on. but afterwards, and he believed that the factory, improved no doubt by the criticisms to which it had been subjected and the times through which it had gone, would take a definite and increasing part in the air defence of the future. Lord Montagu proceeded to reply, when he was met with cries of " Order," and he resumed his seat. The subject then dropped. IN THE HOUSE IN the debate on the Consolidated Fund Bill in the House of Commons on August 1st, Mr. Pemberton Billing said : I apologise for intervening in an Irish debate by intro ducing another subject of national importance. In fact, I feel I cannot allow what happened at Question Time to-day to pass without some form of protest. I have received in this House many insulting replies to questions I have asked Mr. Deputy-Speaker: Order, order! That is not a parliamentary word to be used in respect of answers given by Ministers or by a member's colleagues in this House. Mr. Billing : Then may I say insolent reply. Is that possible ? Hon. Members : You will be suspended if you say that. Mr. Deputy-Speaker : That is also an unparliamentary expression. Mr. Billing : Then all I can say is that I have received replies to which it is impossible to give a Parliamentary term. To-day I have received a type of reply which, to use an Irish expression, is even worse than no reply at all. It was silence. As one who represents to some extent the Air Service in this House, it seemed right to me to ask whether, in view of the raids on several counties of this country, it was considered desirable to institute reprisals ; and to that question no reply was forthcoming. I would like to tell the Prime Minister, if he were here, and as he is not here I would like to address • myself to the Treasury Bench, which is unusually full, and say to them that it is a mistake to believe that because, for the past six months, there has been no agitation on behalf of the public for protection from Zeppelin raids, and no agitation to carry the air war into the enemy's country, that the public are in any way satisfied. I have held a number of meetings all over this country in the last six months and I have addressed some millions of people, and I can assure the Treasury Bench that the people of this country are not satisfied either with the air defences of this country or with the offensive against Zeppelin bases. I consider that we have —and, in fact, to my personal knowledge, we have—aero- planes and men and bombs in this country to carry out reprisals. I would suggest to the Government that it is time that we took our gloves off in this matter as in some other matters in connection with the conduct of this war. Six months ago \ offered the right hon. gentleman who is now 67 1/UOHTI Petrol in the Air Service. IN the House of Lords on August 3rd Lord Strachie inquired as to the principle upon winch petrol h.ul been allowed by the Petrol Control Committee. In the course ol his speech he said he was informed, as regards aeroplanes, that even if they go out for a very short flight, when they come down the whole of the jx'trol is simplv emptied on to the ground and wasted. Lord Derby stated that Lord Strachie ni.ule an accusation, and he wanted to hold him to it. He said that in the Aero plane Service when the men come back from a flight they empty the whole of their petrol tanks on to the ground Can he give a single instance where that has occurred ? Lord Strachie : I have been so informed. The Earl of Derby : Can the noble Lord give me the name of his informant and where it happened ? I deny it absolutely. Lord Strachie : I accept the noble Earl's denial at once, l>nt he knows very well that I cannot give the name of my in formant unless I have that person's permission. The Earl of Derby : Nobody ought to make an accusation of this kind, which amounts to a charge of deliberate and dis graceful waste of Government material, without being pre pared to give the reasons, the name, and the whole of the facts. If the noble Ixird is not prepared to do that he should not have made the accusation. Of course, these petrol tanks have to be emptied ; that is well known, and the reasons why are well known. But when the noble Lord goes on to state that when the aeroplanes come down the petrol tanks are invariably emptied on to the ground, I say there is not a word of truth in it, and I think he ought to withdraw such an accusation against the Aeroplane Service. Lord Strachie : My Lords, in asking leave to withdraw my motion, I am bound to refer to the unprovoked attack which the noble pari made upon me. Though I said at once that I accepted his assurance, he accused me Vith violence of Ian guage. I should have thought that the noble Earl would have been the last person to throw stones in that direction. OF COMMONS. Secretary of State for Scotland to lead him by the hand and show him these bombs and these machines and these nun and now* I repeat that offer to anyone on the Treasury Bench who will accompany me. I would like to ask how many Zeppelin bases have been bombed or attacked during the last six months ? Surely the authorities must have known that the only reason why we were not attacked was that it is not a Zeppelin's business to attack by day, and that these attacks would take place immediately these conditions were pro* pitious. At the present time we may say that the Zeppelin season has commenced, and unless some steps are taken, steps for the more adequate defence, or at least unless the public are shown that it is our intention to act in this matter, 1 think that the agitation that we had six months ago will be repeated. I would like to ask the Government to tell us how much damage it is necessary for Zeppelins to do before any definite action is taken. I wonder whether if a well-directed bomb were dropped in the centre of this House some action would be taken—whether it would do any great harm it is not for me to say, but I think it would have this effect, and it would wake the Government up in this direction at least. In the last three days I have had many telegrams and letters from all over the country with reference to the raid on Saturday night. I know that a mere Zeppelin raid is not a matter that this House regards as a very serious thing, and I know that this House has very many serious questions to deal with. There are so many broken pledges of the Prime Minister which had to be shifted, twisted or turned, and there are so many excuses which have to be given to all those whom he has deceived, that when it comes to the question of a mere Zeppelin raid, of course, in American parlance, it does not cut much ice ; but it does cut a considerable amount of ice with those people who are interested in the Air Service of this country. I have pointed out before that the fact that no military damage is done is not the whole story. You cannot have a raid by one or 10 Zeppelins, dropping one or a thousand bombs, and say that no military damage is done. There is military damage done if thousands of special constables are kept up till 3 o'clock in the morning, as they were to my personal knowledge yesterday morning. Mr, J. Samuel: They do not object. Mr. Billing : But most of these men are carrying on work of national importance, and if they spend the whole night 5
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