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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 1041.PDF
FUght, October 11, 1917. BIVGINE&R? 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. 489. (No. 41, Vol. IX.) OCTOBER II, 1917. ["Weekly, Price 3d.L Post Free, 4d. Flight and The Aircraft Engineer. 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 .. 15;. zd. Abroad.. .. .. 2ar. od. CONTENTS. Editorial Comment: • PAGE War in the Air on Germany .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1041 The Moral Effect in Germany .. .. .. .. .. .. 1042 British Airmen and Aircraft .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1042 The First-Class Air Fighter .. .. 1042 " One Air Service ; One Uniform ; One Badge" .. .. .. 1044 National Air Policy .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. 1044 Honours .. .. .. ., .. .. ., .. ,. ., JO45The Lawson Training Tractor Biplane Wing Bracing and Head Resistance Official Information — 046 048 050 052 053 055 058 060 062 The Royal Aero Club. Official Notices 1050 The Roll of Honour Guynemer—an Appreciation General Smuts on Reprisals Airisms from the Four Winds Answers to Correspondents.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1057 The British Air Services Aircraft Work at the Front. Personals Magneto Ignition .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1064 Side-Winds .. .. .. .. .. -.. .. .. .. .. 1066 Legal Intelligence .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1068 Company Matters .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1068 N the course of his admirable speech before the Associated Chambers of Commerce last week, General Smuts said nothing that appealed so much to the public at large as when he announced that the war is to be taken by' air to Germany itself. Mixed with the natural satisfaction felt at the clear statement of future policy there must be, howe>er, a feeling that General Smuts carefully avoided being too specific. In fact, he went to the other extreme of caution in declining to enlighten his audience upon the immediate intentions of the War Cabinet in this most important matter of an aerial offensive against Germany, and left it to their own imagination to probe his meaning. The great question that agitates the minds of the public is whether, first, the Cabinet does in fact intend to carry the aerial war to Germany, and, second, when ? General Smuts, in a somewhat non-committal manner, answered the first part of the Warin the Air onGermany. question when he predicted that the German air war on defenceless civilians will not only fail, but would prove a terrible boomerang to the enemy, and that we were now most reluctantly forced to apply to him the bombing policy which he has applied to us. The Government, he said, has no longer any choice in the matter, but he did not say whether, having had the choice forced upon it, the Government intends to take immediate and ruthless steps to translate into deeds the policy formulated on their behalf by the gallant General. It is perfectly true, as he said, that a very bitter temper is growing up in this country, which the Government will have to reckon seriously with in settling their air policy. We should like to take it a little farther and say that the temper to which General Smuts alluded has grown to the point when it will not be appeased by empty platitudes or nebulous promises of action is some dim and distant future. Ever since the outbreak of the war our air policy has been one of waiting on events—a real policy of opportunism—and the country is becoming tired of it. The very nerve centre of the Empire is being constantly attacked—and successfully attacked —by the aircraft of a Power to which we are assured we are superior in the air, and we meet those attacks with passive defence. This is not in accord with, the fighting traditions of the race, and it is little wonder the people have -grown restive under the repeated insult of having the capital of the Empire bombarded with practical impunity. It is not the damage done, which is small enough in all conscience, or even the casualties inevitable to raids on the smallest scale—it is the feeling that the hitherto inviolate shores of England are open to invasion by the enemy, who can come and go almost as he likes, that causes the public gorge to rise. Ever since the Germans began their unholy campaign of raiding our shores the demand has been insistent for reprisals, and that demand has been met with nothing but platitudes and half promises that unless the enemy desisted from killing and maiming our civil popula- tion we should—do something. Up to now we have done nothing in countering the German air offensive, to bring home to the German at home a taste of his own beastliness, and except that the new promise is more definite, more categorical, than usual, it does not seem to us that General Smuts has brought us any nearer the point at which the British people can feel that at long last the Government really E
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