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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 0088.PDF
JAKUARY 25, 1917. WITHOUT a doubt we live at the pleasure of others. In the mornings I travel to the office, in the evenings I travel back again. I am allowed to journey by a railway that is virtually under martial law. I pay the fare that it has been decided by law^ or by-law that I shall pay. Should it be decided to remove all the trains one morning I may stay at home, or walk, as I think best. We have no voice in matters these days. Everything that we possess must go to the Government if necessary. We give of our men and our money. Of the latter, we have beentoldthat if we do not give in sufficient magnitude, it will be taken. It might well happen that a shortage of leather would cause me to come to the office without boots. Leather is material of war, and must be had. The war has altered many things, and aviation has played its part in not a few. My friend Peter is an enthusiastic amateur photo- graph ST. Time was, in the days of the old wooden dustbin, when Peter was content with a small film camera with which to take pictures of this awful contraption from every conceivable point of view. Not that he particularly wanted to include it in his pictures ; it would insist on being there. '.He really did his best to disguise it by various hangings of carpets and curtains, assisting it in masquerading in sheep's clothing by the aid of the family geraniums and the castor-oil plant off the first landing. But that dustbin was ever a dustbin and never a rockery, or a rustic fence, or a distant view of the Alps, in spite of brown paper and Virgin cork. But time ^proceeded as time has a habit of doing, and my friend pro- gressed as artists should, untiHhe small camera was of no further use to render a faithful record of his artistic brain-waves, and other cameras and lenses took its place. The last time I saw Peter's outfit he had instruments worth a good deal more than his household furniture ; the last time I saw Peter—which was last evening—he was in sore distress. For from the place where such things issue, comes an order that all persons owning or having control of lenses over 8 ins. in focal length must make a return of them to Government, which may be read to mean, hand them over. And the aeroplane is directly flu OLD &OLDIEH 88 responsible for his, and the fact that Peter will have to hand out for a more useful purpose those cherished pieces of glass and metal. In altering many things, as stated above, the war has also found out many of our weak spots. In the early days of the war, when photography from aero- planes and airships became a necessary and valuable part of the duties of the Flying Services, there were not enough lenses on sale in this country to go round, and the Government advertised their willing- ness to purchase at makers' list prices second-hand instruments of the kind desired. And now the same thing has happened with those of the long-focus variety, only this time it is a demand and not a wish. It is hardly worth one's while wondering why the numerous lens makers in this country cannot supply the Government with the instruments they require, for it is exactly the same story as has applied to so many other of our so-called home industries. For while our best makers advertised that their lenses were every bit as good as those of foreign manu- facture—and I will admit that they were—they yet relied on getting the glass required from " over there," and so, when the supply dried up as a natural consequence of hostilities, our manufacturers followed suit to a very great extent. And now Peter's instru- ments, together with those of all other holders, will have to travel alortg to 177, Piccadilly, and there are but seven days in which to comply with the order, so hurry along. JUST A COUPLE OF LITTLE PICTURES. One day last week I had occasion to board a 'bus, and noticed that the conductress had decorated herself up to the highest degree. Fastened to her jacket she had the following articles, all on one side : One of those fluffy little golliwogs, over which was a small paper Union Jack. Beneath these was the badge of a Scotch regiment, and under it a magnificent dark red rose of the real kind. Beneath these again was a thistle worked in silk. I passed the well-known joke of " All dressed up and nowhere to go," but she only, smiled and buried her-nose in the flower. Pre- sently we stopped to pick up a gentleman who was evidently a " regular," for the following conversation ensued :— !•.<••• , . " Unusual to pick you up at this time of day,"remarked the fair fare gatherer. " Yes," he replied. " What's the matter to-day ?Got the boy home from the Front ? " " No. But he's coming home next week on tw»weeks' leave, and he's a D.S.M. What do vou think of that ? " J " Then I suppose I shan't see you on the day he arrives ? " You won't see me for the whole fortnight. I'm
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