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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 1325.PDF
Fliftht, December 20, 1917. I CHT ENGINEER? First Aero Weekly in the World. Founder and Editor: STANLEY SPOONER. A Journal devoted to the Interests, Praetice, &&d Progress of Aerial Locomotion and Transport. OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB OF THE UNITED KINGDOM. No. 469. (No. 51, Vol. IX.) DECEMBER 20, 1917. rweekly. Price 3d.L Post Free, 4d. and The Aircraft Engineer. Editorial Office: 36, GREAT QUEEN STREET, KINGSWAY, W.C. a. Telegrams : Truditur, Westcent, London. Telephone : Gerraid 1828. Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free. United Kingdom ... 15*. *d. Abroad iw, oa. CONTENTS. Editorial Comment: ~+ f AGB Lord Rothermere and Reprisals .. .. .. .. •• .. 1325 The Air Inventions Committee . .. . 1326 Aerial Post to France .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1326 Another Aircraft Strike .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1326 The Non-Ferrous Metals Bill • 1328 The Bombing of Constantinople .. .. .. .. .. -. 1328 Honours .. .. ,. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1359 The Roll of Honour . 1330 The 230 h.p. Benz Aero Engine 1331 The Doppler Effect. By A. E. Watson and G. H. Makey .. .. 1335 International Aircraft Standards .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1339 The Principles of Range-Finders and Bomb-Sights for Aircraft. By C. Levick .. ., .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1341 Some Remarks on Aerial Warfare. By Major J. D. Fullerton, R.E. .. 1343 Meteorology in Relation to Aeronautics. By W. H. Dines, D.Sc, F.Ae.S.. F.R.S 1344 Airisms from the Four Winds .. 1347 Ministers and Our Air Policy .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1348 London to Constantinople by Air .. .. .. .. .. .. 1349 Aviation in Parliament .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1350 Personals .. 1351 The British Air Services 135a Side-Winds . 1354 With the current issue a " XMAS GREETING" I is included in the form of a coloured section, j " Just for Fun." EDITORIAL COMMENT. " Newspapers are an essential part of our war organisation."— (Sir Auckland Geddes, Minister of National Service). ; PEAKING to the Benchers of Gray's Inn last week, Lord Rothermere, the new Air Minister, delivered him- self very definitely on the question of air reprisals. Indeed, his words could scarcely have been more to the point, and were in refreshing con- trast to the vague generalities with which the country has hitherto had to rest content. There was no flamboyant talk about " giving the Germans Hell " or any gilded nonsense Lord of the sort—simply a straightforwardRoth a e n*d Tiere statement of policy and an equally Reprisals, straightforward explanation of the reasons for the adoption of that policy. In the course of his reply to the toast of the Air Service, Lord Rothermere said :— " At the Air Board we are wholeheartedly in favour ofair reprisals. It is our duty to avenge the murder of innocent women and children, As the enemy elects, so it will be thecase of ' eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,' and in thi srespect we shall slave for complete and satisfying retaliation. General Ludendorff proclaims the war a war of nations,suggesting that the civilian pcpulation is as much a mark for the airman's bombs as the fighting maji. We detest these doctrines, holding them to be grossly immoral. But in fighting for our lives and the lives of our women and children,we cannot, and we will not, consent to their one-sided applica- tion. We have too much at stake in this contest to concedeany advantage to a treacherous enemy. He has to learn in this, aa in larger things, that it does not pay. We aredetermined, in other words, that whatever outrages are com- mitted on the civilian population of this country will be metby similar treatment upon his own people." As an admirably clear explanation of the whole question this would be hard to beat. As we ourselves have so often urged, there can be no weight given to considerations of a sentimental character in the determination of our methods of waging war on Germany. With the Air Minister himself we are completely at one in our hatred of the Hun doctrines of war. We should infinitely prefer the war to be a clean, straight fight between the armies—a war as civilised wars have always been conducted, until the Hun showed that in order to assure the success of his attempt to impose German kultur on an unwilling civilisation he was prepared to use any foul, filthy means and to degrade the honourable profession of arms to depths which have not been plumbed even by the most savage cannibal tribes of Central Africa. Whether we like it or not, there can be no question of what we have to do, unless we are content to see our civilians—men, women and children— murdered in their homes with impunity, the while the Hun laughs at us for weaklings and fools. After being compelled to sit down and listen to the plati- tudes of weak Ministers and pusillanimous Bishops for so many weary months of " nothing doing," we are unfeignedly pleased that at last we have a Minister at the head of the Air Service who intends to carry out the policy of hitting back at the enemy in the way he least desires we should hit him. 12
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