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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 0719.PDF
Flight, July 19, 1917. First Aero Weekly in the World. Founder and Editor : STANLEY SPOONER. - A Journal devoted to the Interests, Practice, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport. OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. No. 447. (No. 29, Vol. DC.) JULY 19, 1917. fWeekly, Price 3d.L Post Free, 4d. Editorial Office: 44, ST. MARTIN'S LANE, LONDON, W.C. 2. Telegrams: Truditur, Westrand, London. Telephone: Gerrard 1828. Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free. _' United Kingdom .. 15s. at/, • Abroad.. .. .. 20s. od. -••^::*_:--;iA.. CONTENTS. .:-,-• Editorial Comment: • PA<;E America s Effort in the Air .. .. .. .« ... • . „. ; .. 719 - The Increase of Aircraft Production .. .. 720 Air Raid Grants .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 720 Winter Comforts for the Troops .. .. . 722 Lond6n's First Air Raid Warning .. .. .. 722 A Neat School Machine .. .. .. .. . 723 Honours .. ., .. .. .. .. ..— .. .. . ,, ., 724 From Other Lands : The Non-Recoil Gun .. .. .. T. .. 725 Royal Aero Club. Official Notices .. .. .. .. .. .. 726 The Roll of Honour .. .. .. .. .. .. v^ .. .. .. 727 Answers to Correspondents .. .. .. .. .. .. „ ., 728 Correspondence .. ., .. .. .. .. .. .... 729 Airisms from the Four Winds ,. .. .. .. .. .. .. 7-50 Personals .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 734 Aviation in Parliament .. .. .. .. .. ., .. .. 7-6 Aircraft Work at trie Front. Official Information .. .. .. .. 759 The British Air Services .. .. .. .. .. .. .. •• 740 A Boring and Recessing Machine .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 743 Air Raid Casualties 7^4 Rene Desoutter, Test-Pilot 745 Company Doings .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ".. ., 746 Imports and Exports, 1916-1917 .. .. .. .. .. ,. .. '746 .ftonour anto 7:•^ .--.-' to tije Kopal S)ousr of EDITORIAL COMMENT. FTER but four hours' discussion, the United States House of Representa- tives has passed unanimously a vote for £128,000,000 for the construction of aircraft to be sent to the European theatres of war. The House voted the money—the largest sum by far that has ever been allocated for air- craft purposes—without asking for any details of the plans of the War Department, and without any. > knowledge of the number of aeroplanesAlEffort S and airmen t0 be sent to Europe. All in the Air. tnat remains now, apparently, is for the Senate to deal with the vote in the sank' spirit of patriotic compliance. In the mean- liniv, preparations for the construction of aeroplanes and the training of airmen are proceeding as if the Bill had been finally enacted, as it most certainly will be. We leave it to the enemy to figure out for himself how many machines can be constructed and how many airmen can be trained and put into the field before this huge credit is exhausted. He can also draw what comfort he can from the knowledge that, large as the initial sum is, there is much more behind it, and America, with her grim determination to see the war through to its only possible conclusion, will not hesitate to appropriate still further sums of money as and when it becomes necessary to do so. Not only do we realise the American spirit of determination to victory through this vote of money for aircraft construction, but in the utterances of public men and the Press we see a rapidly growing conviction that the main effort is to be in the air. The Americans are convinced that the war can and shall be won by the use of aircraft in huge numbers. It is to be carried by air into Germany, so that the enemy people may be brought to realise what war is and what it is their own armies have taken into Belgium, France and the rest of the countries of Europe which have suffered frojn Prussian megalo- mania. It is apparent that neither the talk of the pacificists or the plaintive platitudes of people like the x\rchbishop of Canterbury will be allowed to turn the United States from the main intent to defeat and destroy, once and for all, that insane militarism which has plunged the whole world into a welter of bloodshed. We hear nothing of coming out of the war with " clean hands." All the talk in America is of defeating the enemy by all and every means to hand. Germany has not hesitated to use means and methods which were, we had fendly hoped, outside the usages of civilised war. We know better now, and while we have been compelled to copy those methods in certain directions, there are others we have been too squeamish to adopt. Among these is the use of aircraft in their ultimate role of the bombard- ment of German towns. We know, in our inmost hearts, that it will have to come to that sooner or later, but the feeling is that it should be later rather than sooner. It is perfectly obvious that in America the stem alternative is accepted that it will have to be sooner, and in that we entirely agree. The war has got to be won, and the earlier we can achieve complete victory the greater will be the saving of life and treasure. Therefore, if to be ruthless now is the truest way to be kind in the end, then in
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