FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1920
1920 - 0170.PDF
the salient iact that time brings change, and that no such vital change as has been brought about by the conquest of the air has ever affected the face of war.^We are not even yet convinced that Mr. Churchill himself, favourably as he inclines to affairs of the Air, has grasped the possibilities of the future. It is very much to his credit that it was he who provided the Navy with an air service, which was in being at the outbreak of war. Also it must be remembered to his account that he has consistently helped and furthered aviation, civil and military, ever since the possibilities were first realised. We prefer to think that in the matter of present policy he is rather the victim of circumstances than willingly acquiescent in what is an altogether foolish policy, though at the same time we are not convinced of his conversion to the new thought. With this qualifi- cation, we unhesitatingly endorse the indictment brought against the Government by "A Service Mj>" Transport Certain public references which have recently been made to the work of the Civil Aerial Transport Committee have brought Mr. Holt Thomas into the field again. In a letter to The Times, he points out what is required now is not a series of eulogistic references to the valuable work accomplished by the Committee, but an active constructive policy of encouragement. The Committee was appointed in May of 1917. It sat tor a whole year of painstaking work, and laid before the Government a very complete Report embodying the collective opinions of the members, indicating what the position of the aircraft industry would be at the conclusion of hostilities, and what steps would be desirable to tide over the period of transition from war to peace, and to place it on such FEBRUARY 12, 1920 a foundation as would ensure its healthy progress. All the advice necessary was given by the Committee to the Government nearly two yeais ago. It explored the whole field, and foresaw post-War problems with absolute prevision. As Mr. Holt Thomas remarks, it is now becoming a habit for officials to pay verbal tribute to the work of the Committee, but it is definite, constructive action which is long overdue. We confess we are becoming a little tired of con- tinually emphasising the derelictions of the Govern- ment in the matter of civil aviation—to say nothing of the cheese-paring policy being-pursued in regard to the fighting Air Service—and we doubt not our readers will begin to share this feeling with us. But we should consider it to be much less than the duty we owe to the movement if we did not keep con- tinuously hammering away at the subject. It is only by so doing that the necessary volume of public opinion to force the hands of the Government can be created. It has become perfectly obvious that not only has the present Government no aerial policy at all, but that it does not intend to formulate one. It has been warned time and again by those who know that the future of defence lies in the air. It has a bare twelvemonth behind it and the lessons of the War. Between them these several factors should, and would, have caused a Government with ordinary prevision and honesty of intent to have thought out and announced a definite air policy long ere this. That is so perfectly plain that we are coming round to the conclusion that, as we have said, there is not only no policy but no intent. We hear a great deal from time to time of a desire to encourage and foster aviation, but nothing is done, nothing is said, which bears the merest semblance of definiteness. The present Government knows it cannot last for ever. It is improbable that we shall be involved The coast of the Black Sea, taken from an aeroplane 170
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
