New-York tribune., 1907-01-14
THE WRIGHT BROTHERS, AEROPLANE.

Mr.. Frank H.. Lahm. an American who has
made Paris his home for several years. and
who is an enthusiast aeronautic sport
improved the chance afforded by a recent visit
to the United States to investigate the claim
that the Wright brothers, of Dayton, Ohio,
made the first successful fight with an aero
plane which was propelled by an engine. He
has convinced himself that the statements of
the Ohio inventors are correct and thinks that
their success will go far toward making flying
machines popular within the next year or two.
and he speaks Of the Wrights as modest, intel
ligent and honora BILE" men.
How large a sphere of usefulness the flying
machine will ever fill is a question on which
wide diversity of opinion exists. 1t Is pos
sible too, that the extent to which II VIII be
employed merely for diversion has been over
estimated by Mr. Lahm and SantoS-Dumont
Nevertheless, great many Americans will note
with satisfaction testimony which tends to in
spire confidence in the representations made by
Orville and Wilbur Wright. To have gone
step further than Langley. Maxim and Hlien-
thai in the development of a type or alrshlp
in which buoyancy is secured by other means
than gas, and TO have done SO before Santos
Dumont performed the same feat. Is certainly
an achievement in which the fellow country
men Of the Dayton aeronauts may well take
pride They will now be more eager than ever
for a public test of the Wright machine, such
as there is now some reason TO expect within
the next few months.
The skepticism which has been felt and ex-
pressed IN Europe on this subject has resulted.
no doubt from the hesitation of the Wrights
to supply detailed information about their aero
plane 1t is easy however, to think Of num-
Der OF causes for retcence which In all proba-
bility was meant TO be only temporary. In
deyising q successful aeroplane it Is neces-
sery to deal with several distinct problems
One group relates to the materials areas ana
bracing of the Wings Another refers to the
number, size and positions Of the screw pro-
pellers Consideration must also be given 10
the task of obtaining high power with the light
est possible engine, to methods or Launching
and alighting and to means Of keeping the
craft practically upright while under way.
Though satisfactory progress may have been
made with each Of these problems, the invent
ors NAV have believed that here and there they
could improve on their first expedlents. and
until they had experimental further they might
not have considered their machine mt for ex-
hibition To show it at that stage OF the pro-
ceedings to their rivals might have given the
latter an unfair advantage. especially II the
protection of patents had not yet been secured.
Under circumstances like these the Wrights
would have been fully justified in not talking
too freely.
Other considerations, equally legitimate, may
have inspired their cautious conduct. 1t has
been rumored that the WHgbts made overtures
TO the United States and French governments
for the sale of their invention. These stories
still lack confirmation, but they are altogether
credible Now while such negotiations were
pending a premature description Of the appa-
ratus might have spoiled bargain. and if the
effort in one quarter was unsuccessful 1t would
doubtless have been good policy to try In an
other and to say nothing about the matter In the
mean time The Wrights not men OF indie
pendent means, as SantOs-Dumont Is. 1t would
be quite proper for them therefore, 70 attempt
to realize as handsomely they could on their
investment of money, time and talent for the
eight or ten years which they have devoted to
this undertaking. If, as we strongly suspect
their course has been dictated by such mo-
tive. no one can blame them for not crafty
ing public curiosity more fully than they have
done hitherto.