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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0264.PDF
MAY 17, 1923 satisfaction of the Judging Committee appointed by the Air Council carry out the tests specified in the presence of and under the direction of the Judging Committee. (21) In the event of two or more flying machines success- fully and to the satisfaction of the Judging Committee ap- pointed by the Air Council carrying out any test or tests for which a separate prize is allocated under Condition (19) (i), (ii), (iii) and )iv), the prize allocated for such test or tests will be divided equally, or in such proportions as the Judging Committee may determine, between the entrants of the successful machines. (22) The Air Council shall not be bound to recognise any claim, right or interest of any person or persons having an interest in any flying machine entered for the Competition other than the entrant of the machine, and the receipt of the entrant shall be a sufficient discharge for any payment made by the Air Ministry in respect of any prize or share of a prize awarded. (23) No part of the above-mentioned prizes will be awarded in respect of the helicopter now being constructed by Louis Brennan, Esq., C.B., for and on behalf of the Air Council. (24) In the event of any of the prizes not being awarded such prize will again be offered for competition within a further period of one year from the date of the announcement by the Air Council of the result of the original tests upon terms to be then announced. (25) All communications in respect of the Competition should be addressed to the Secretary, Air Ministry, Adastral House, Kingsway, London, W.C. 2. A LARGER AIR FORCE IT was stated in the House of Lords on Wednesday, May 9, that it was the intention of the House of Lords to increase the strength of the Air Force. Lord Birkenhead asked the Government what information they had as to the construction of aircraft in Germany (1) for military and naval purposes and (2) for commercial purposes.and what was the policy of the Government in relation to the standard of air strength which the security of this country required ? He reminded the House that at the time of the Armistice this country had an Air Force which was unsurpassed by any air force in the world. At the earliest possible moment after the war all our vast military preparations were, rightly so under the circum- stances, abandoned. In many ways the disappearance of our Air Force was far more serious than the disappearance of our Armies, because for hundreds of years we had been content on the military side with a small but extraordinarily competent professional Army. We were always able to comfort ourselves with the reflection that we had a Navy which in those happy and secure days we used to speak of as the Navy that was of the two-Power standard. The air menace at that time had not arisen. We could afford to be indifferent to military inferiority. Those in authority could not justify themselves before the nation if they were compelled to say that there existed a Power, however friendly, against whom we were in a position of inferiority so striking that a defence would be almost impossible. This country possessed 34 air squadrons and 395 machines, compared with 140 French squadrons and 1,260 machines. That disproportion in the strength of two neighbouring countries, however friendly their relations might be, was so alarming that no Government could allow it to continue. The subject was now under the .consideration of the Committee presided over by Lord Salisbury, and he would not anticipate in any way the decisions of that Committee. His purpose was to persuade the House and the country that the problem of air defence in the future was as vital a question as the strength of the Navy had been to their predecessors for the last thirty years. He asked the special question about Germany because he desired to have it made plain whether there was any such formidable menace in the centre of Europe as a section of the Press had attempted to convey. He had read statements to the effect that there" was a feverish construction^ of aircraft taking place both in Germany and in Russia under the guidance of German officers. All the information available to him as a private member of that House was in the other direction, and he had some sources open to him which, though not official, were, he thought, reliable. If it were the fact that the German nation had studiously complied with its obligations and limitations under the treaty of Versailles and that there was today to be seen in Europe no great programme of aerial construction, then, once again, one must examine the existing European situation, and the result could not, he thought, be such as to lead them to be more content with the figures which he had given. Viscount Haldane said we should have a proper home defence force against air attacks. It was a difficult problem, and would take time to solve. He would like the Government Mr. Tilghman Richards Disengaged MR. TILGHMAN RICHARDS wishes it to be known that he is open to consider the offer of a position in the aircraft industry, preferably on the works management side. Mr. Richards is, of course, so well known as to need no introduction to concentrate at first on building up a first-rate Air Staff. There were admirable young officers in the Navy and the Army who could be brought into the service of the air. On the question of expense, he said that he had read in the Press recently that it was proposed to spend ^9,000,000 on naval works at Singapore. That might be most desirable but to begin with such an expenditure and pass by the much more pressing expenditure on the small air force that was required for the defence of the country seemed to him to be insanity. The Air Force should come first. The Marquess of Salisbury, in reply, said that whatever might have been the reason—good, bad, or indifferent—which led the late Government to their decisions in respect of the Air Force at the moment of demobilisation, the difficulty for the present Government remained the same. They found a situation where the country had been deprived of the wonderful Air Force which it had enjoyed at the close of the war, and they were obliged to apply themselves to a situation which required a very extensive remedy. As to the specific question about Germany, there was no reason to suppose that the German Government was con- travening the Versailles Treaty. It seemed, however, to be the case that the German aircraft industry was being to some extent developed outside Germany. There were present in use in Germany 111 commercial machines, of 30 different types ; 84 of them being the old type of military machines. Commercial machines in the course of construction all complied with the rules drawn up under the Treaty, with the exception of the airship which was being built in Germany for the Government of the United States. It would be premature to make any statement as regards the standard required. He hoped that on that point and others, at no distant date, he or somebody speaking on behalf of the Government would be able to go a great deal further. The noble and learned lord's remarks were directed to a comparison between our strength and the strength of a friendly Power. Undoubtedly, the air strength of any Power, friendly or otherwise, must react upon ourselves. But he would be sorry indeed if there was any idea that we were creating our Air Force because of any threat of aggression by that great friendly Power. The condition of Europe was still one of great tension, and it would be quite wrong, having regard to her very natural desire to exercise every precaution which a country was called upon to exercise, to complain that France had created so important an Air Force. As far as the present Government was concerned, they had lost no time, but they were anxious to carry public opinion with them in whatever they did. The Air Estimates provided for an increase of 18 squadrons, and the provision of these would be pushed on with all dispatch. The Committee which had been appointed had been divided into two branches, and together they had had 16 sittings since the last debate. They had dealt with every part of the subject—the development of aircraft, range of aircraft, provision of personnel, relation to the Navy, and, most important of all, what the total strength of the Air Force should be. The Government had come to the conclusion that a considerable increase in the Air Force would be necessary. He could assure their lordships that whatever was necessary the Government would do their best to supply. <•> <•> from us, having been associated with flying since the very early days. Manager of the aviation branch of Beardmores until that was closed down, Mr. Richards was manager of Martinsydes of Woking, which position he has now relin- quished. 264
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