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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 1072.PDF
OCTOBER 14, 1920 THE AIR CONFERENCE, 1920 Between sessions, in front of the Guildhall, on the Opening Day. AT the Air Conference, held in the Council Chamber of the City of London at the Guildhall (by kind permission of the Lord Mayor) on October, 12, 13 and 14, a series of very valuable papers were read, and were followed later by interesting discussions. It has been impossible, from considerations of space, to publish the papers in full in this week's issue of FLIGHT, but in the succeeding pages we give the followingibrief synopses which will indicate the character of the papers, and we hope to be able to publish the papers in full as far as possible in proper sequence. The Conference brought together a very large and repre- sentative gathering of those associated with aviation, whilst among the countries officially represented were France, U.S.A., Japan, Sweden, Holland, Argentine, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland, Paraguay, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Rumania, Brazil, Poland, and Norway. The Lord Mayor opened the proceedings and then vacated the chair in favour of Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, who presided on the first day. General Sir Frederick Sykes and Mr. White-Smith reading their respective papers in the morning and evening, and at the conclusion of th<? afternoon session the following; resolution was proposed by Mr. Holt Thomas, seconded by General Brancker, and unanimously carried :— " That this Conference calls on the Government to decide definitely that all first-class mail matter shall be sent by air mail on selected thail routes of im- portance." The chairman undertook to forward a copy of the resolu- tion to Mr. Churchill. At the inaugural lunch, when Mr. Winston Churchill, the Secretary of State for War, presided, the following guests were present:—Mr. W. F. Nicholson, C.B., Mr. H. White-Smith, C.B.E., Lieut.-Col. F. K. McClean, Sir James Stevenson, Bart., Mr. P. W. Rylands, Maj.-Gen. Sir F. H. Sykes, G.B.E., K.C.B., C.M.G., Sir Alan Anderson, K.B.E., Sir Arthur Duckham, K.C.B., The Lord Riddell, Rt. Hon. Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., Field-Marshal Sir H. H. Wilson, Bt., K.C.B., Air-Marshal Sir Hugh M. Trenchard, Bt., K.C.B., Sir John Cadman, K.C.M.G., Air Vice-Marshal Sir E. L. Ellington, K.C.B., Sir Charles Wake- field, Bt., Air-Corn. H. R. Brooke-Popham, C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., Sir Robert A. Hadfield, Bt.. Rear Admiral Sir C. F. Lambert, K.C.B., Rear-Admiral Sir E. F. Inglefield, K.B.E., Mr. F. Handley Page, C.B.E. Col. II. B. T. Childs, Sir R. T. Glazebrook, K.C.B., Capt. G. de Havilland, Professor Chalmers Mitchell, Lieut.-Com. H. Warden Chilcott, M.P., Lieut-Col. J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon, M.C., M.P., Mr. Griffith Brewer, Mr. H. Massac-Buist, Major G. H. Scott, C.B.E., A.F.C., Mr. S. Instone, Mr. W. E. Berry, Mr. J. A. Spender, Wing-Com. A. H. W. E. Wynn, O.B.E., Major W. T. Blake, Major C. C. Turner, Mr. W. L. Mallabar. Sir James Allen, Col. F. Searle, Maj.-Gen. E. D. Swinton, C.E., D.S.O., Mr. J. L. Garvin, Mr. J. D. Walker, M.B.E., Mr. G. B. Cockburn, Professor L. Bairstow C.B.E., Capt. Murray F. Suetei^CB., R.N., Commandant J. Sable, Group- Capt. A. J. L. Scott, C.B., Iieut.-Ccl. Sir H A. Van Ryneweld, K.B.E., D.S.O., M.C., Mr. Harry Harper, Mr. R. W. Blanken- berg. Air Vice-Marshal J. F. A. Higgins, C.B., D.S.C.. A.F.C., Air Vice-Marshal Sir J. M. Salmond, K.C.B., C.M.G., Maj.- Gen. Sir W. Sefton Brancker, K.C.B., A.F.C.. Mr. C. G. Grey, Flight-Lieut. G. W. Dobson, p.B.E., Lieut. C. P. Robertson, Mr. Stanley Spooner, Sir Evelyn Murray, Sir Napier Shaw, Maj -Gen. Sir R. M. Ruck, C.B., Capt. F. C. Broome, Capt. F. S. Barnwell, Air Vice-Marshal A.V. Vyvyan, C.B., D.S.O., Mr. A. V. Roe. Capt. S. Cockerell, A.F.C., Co!. A. Ogilvie, Mr. G. Holt Thomas. Mr. Phillips Air-Corn. E. M. Maitland. C.M.G., D.S.O., Mr. S. A. Boulton. Mr. Churchill, at the conclusion of the lunch, said that he thought it was a really good thing to have an Air Parlia- ment, and he thought that the present very pleasant in- auguration of the first of its character was remarkable, and he hoped it was not to be the last. We ought to have a fixed meeting place once a year, when all those who were interested in the great art of aviation, those who had put their lives into it, their money and their knowledge, could gather together and discuss, organise and mobilise the interests of the air, in order that they might receive proper recognition and support. He thought a great deal of grati- tude was due to the press for the help which had been given to aviation, which at this particular period was of great value to the cause of British aviation. The discussions on civil aviation which were now taking place should, he thought, not end simply in discussions, having regard to the character of the Air Conference gathering. They should culminate, he thought, in a strong resolution, although of course this would hardly bind the Government. If we were ever to take into consideration the possibility of any aggressive action on any nation's part in spite of wise statesmanship, then aviation for military purposes was a vital item in the defence of this island. We should cease to enjoy the unique superiority whic& our insular position had given us through all the centuries if we lost control of the arts which led to aerial superiority. Our Navy, however great and efficient, would be no substitute for an aviation which had been hoplessly neglected. It was impossible to consider the defence ot these islands and the security of the people of these islands—it was im- possible to organise any system of secure defence, even the most modest—except on the basis of a real and effective and supreme local control of the air. The foundation through long years of peace of any military expansion must be an active civil development. All the future of military IO74
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