Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-12-21
SOLUTION Near.
Aerial Navigation Will Soon
Be a Common Thing,
Captain in French Army Pre-
diets a Revolution Soon
In Many Phases Of Life Owing to
Perfection Of Airships.

Paris, Dec. 20.-So confident is the
French government that the day is
only Il short distance off when aerial
locomotion will be practical that sew
cral commissions are actually at work
celebrating plans for Il meeting in the
various branches of the public service,
the solution of any new problem which
the revolution Will entail. Captain Fer
Der of the French army, who is devot-
ing all his time To acrOStaticS and who
conducted the negotiations on behalf
of his government with the Wright
brothers. agrees with Santos DumOnt
that flying machines in Il few years
Will be as common as automobiles to-
day. In the next war, he is convinced
there Will be battles between nOtillaS
of airships. Human mastery over the
air." said he to The Associated Press,
lis virtually achieved.
"Nonc Of the startling achievements
of the past neither steam, electricity
nor the telephone, can compare with
what the future now holds in store for
us. Not only will the life of individuals
be rcvolutioniZed, but governments will
be compelled to devise in almost every
department, new methods to meet tho
changed conditions This change will
come with amazing suddcnness and
France is taking the precaution to
meet 1t. In the customs service pres
cnt methods Of Watching the frontiers
will be obsolete. Aerial uatrols will
be necessary to prevent smuggling of
con,raband across the border The DO
nee Of all cities will have to be pro-
vIdcd with flying machines to protect
the people from the new opportunities
or CRIME which aerial lOcomotion will
place III the power Of criminals. It
would seem that flying machines would
enable Anarchists to achieve any end
by threat against not only rulers. but
whole cities. but with the police safl
ing about i'll the air. it Will be no more
difficult to Illustrate their plots than
1t Is now on solid ground In war. the
Intelligence service will be entirely con-
signed To the acrostatic divisions and
armed alrShips will guard the bivouacs
Of lrmies.'
Captain Fcrber believes the whole
solution of the problem of aerial nayi-
CATION, lies in tn" question of tuuiIi
Drum as the principle Of flight. that Il
Area OF ""'oplanc. surface ana spcrl
ar" now demonstrated. The practical
maintenance of equilibrium is Vet in
the experimental stage and will only
pc achieved when present crude and
temporary cNr"dicnts employed liz
santos Dum"nt are replaced by a CO.
"rdlnatInG central mechanism which
VIII permit the operator. with an in
stlhctive touch Of the holm. to right
ms machine when it dips to one side
OF the Other as the bicyclist TODAY
maintains his equilibrium by the in
stNctIvc inclination of his BODY cam
tam fcrber has Just completed an Ill
ttf"stinG series Of experiments to nro, a
mat birds are powcrlcss to nv until
they have been taught He contends
thilt N" domination Of the air at pres
eht enjoyed by birds was only obtained
as Il result of a slow process of cvolu-
ton comparable, in Il way, to slow Dcr-
lection Of the present human means
of flight.