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Aviation History
1916
1916 - 1153.PDF
DECEMBER 21, 1916. ccmntry, with the exception of the engines. 1 endeavoured to persuade the late Government, and will endeavour to psrsuade the present Government, that with respect to the engines we must look to the American market \Ve c uinot I am confident, produce* the engines in this country th it we want for the job without seriously interfering with the output of munitions which we cannot get abroad and which are urgently needed. I am suggesting the method, no! of takinc the American engine, but of standardising the English engine and taking over the American shops for producing it The only point to be considered is the practicability of doing it " We can have the pilots at the same tifcie ' 1 have been trying to persuade the Lords of the Admiralty since December 1014, that we were wasting our time in training pilots in this country. I have pointed out to them that my experience of aviation has shown me that it is a fortunate day when a young learner gets on an average four minutes in the air 111 England. In the initial stages of learning to fly, the atmo spheric conditions must be more or less favourable. The result is that these young fellows are waiting about the aerodrome for their turn or for the weather. You can go to these places and find fellows who have not been up for a week. I understand that we have approached the French Government, that we have got their permission, and that after twenty-eight months of war and twenty-four months o) persuasion someone has gone to the South of France to sce if he can select a site. I would persuade the Government to take the matter in hand and to put it in charge of some body. It does not matter whether it is under the Army or the Navy. Get rid of the intrigue in every way you can. Make it somebody's job—a civilian's job—to"go to the South of France and provide facilities for training 500 pilots a week. That is a sweeping statement, but it is possible that with 100 machines—I say that we have now in this country 2,000 machines that could be employed—or 200 machines in tin South of France, where the climatic conditions are favourable, we could be training pilots for twelve or fourteen hours a day, instead of merely early morning and afternoon, as we do ai home. I would ask hon. members to consider what might have happened if we had started in February of tins year a definite constructive policy, always having at the back of our heads a definite offensive policy, after consultation with those men who have had experience in operations in the field or in operations of bombardment by aeroplane, and to consider what we might do with 5,000 aeroplanes. What a different complexion we should have put upon the War ? To earn out what I propose would create a public opinion in Germany, and would show that we were really carrying the war into then country. That was a view which 1 stated some time ago, and if it had been adopted six months ago, or even two months ago, we. should have had this air service. The task is not an insurmountable one 111 any way. " I have been asked when 1 thought the war would be over, and my reply was that I thought it would be at an end twelve months after the Government wakened up ; and I can assure hon. members that if only we took up this question of the air service seriously now, in six months' time we should be able to introduce a greater offensive still. It is because I believe this so seriously—and my belief is not founded on mere ideas but upon experience—it is because 1 believe in the possibility of a great air service, that I beg the Govern ment to take the whole matter seriously into their considera tion directly the opportunity arises, "f beg them, however, not to take a short cut by handing the construction of aero planes to the Munitions Department or to anybody willing to undertake it. In France, the Army has every machine it wants, and I ask the Government to give to the Army or the Navy every machine it wants, where it is proved that it would be of value to either. In regard to the Naval Air Service there is no justification for employing a gigantic personnel — no reason either on earth or on the sea. I would comb out some of them, as well as some of the Royal Flying Corps and I would ask the Government to form this air service, and call it an Imperial air service if you chose, but it is no matter what you call it so long as it is created a separate service, a unit apart from the Army and the Navy, as a great aerial offensive service, which could operate under tie- direction ol the Army, if you like, or it could be left to the Navy when necessary. But, without being critical of the Naval Air Service and its functions, or of the Royal Flying Corps 1 submit that they are not the material which is wanted. There are firms in this country which are still competing with each other, and the Naval Air Service, the Koyal Hying j/QGHTI Corps, and now incidentally the^ Munitions Department, are concerned in this matter. 1 submit that the present Government should, make „ dean sweep, as they can do before .my influences .tie brought to heal 111 one way or the other, and proclaim its intention ot creating a Mini Construction 01- a Hoard based on the same principle sis ill. Naval Construction tkiard and this An Construction Board would then be solely responsible jot supplying the want- both ot iln- naval bra tub ami the military branch ot a grant Imperial air service, which 1 smcerch tiust before the end .1 the war will , omo into b Parliamentary Secretary For the \it Hoard SPEAKING on the second reading ot the New Mil ami Secretaries Hill in the Mouse ol Common* 011 Decembri iSth. Sir (',. Cave said We propose bv the- Hill t,, appoint a Parliamentary Secretary to that Hoard ! he t ioMiumrn! desire to go somewhat tuithei than lhal I his niattei 1. of course, of goat and pressing 1114)01 lame, and 1 think many ot us would desire to have a decision as to the position which the Air Hoard is to take 1 am uuthorised b\ tl« Prime Minister to say : In the pressure ot work involved in the format ion ol the Government, it has not been possible to decidr to day all matters connected with tin Air Board The work ol President is still being carried on temporarily bv I 01,) 1 urton and the Government have satisfied themselves thai tilt service is not suffering 111 the interim. Hut I am glad to be able to say that the two lighting Departments (the Wo Office and the Admiralty) have arranged to utilise to the full the services ot the An Hoard, and I hope in the Com imttee stage to lie able I" introduce \niendmenta to m\ !• effect to that decision "I hope that with that statement the House will be content How the Germans report for home and neutral con sumption their aircraft as strafing London, *i» conceived by the Japanese artist "Hashimoto."— j From the Japanese ••Aeronautic World." 1125 .
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