The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-10-29
Cash WANTED FOR BALLOONS
Congress Will Be Asked to Appro,
pirate 100000.
international AerOnautic Congress
Discusses AIrship Types Best
Suited for Army and Navy.

New York. Oct Z.-Brig. Gen. James
Allen, head of the Signal Corps OF the
United Stats army. Mai George o.
SqUiers. of the Corps. and Admiral c. N.
Chester, Of the United States navy we're
speakers before the International Aero
nautical Congress which opened its ses-
sion in the house of the Automobile Club
Of America to-day.
The valu Of the airships in army and
navy. and the types best suited for the
different branches Of the service, were
set forward by the the speakers who are
working on the problem or behalf OF the
American government
WINS L. More, president % the con-
gress, predicted that the department Of
aerial navigation would hasten interna-
ti0naI peace. Whenever the car OF de-
structiOn IS placed In the hands Of the
weaker nations and make it so that IT
can be chcapIy constructed" he said.
you place I'm the hands Of those nations
the power 20 defend themselves against
the stronger. When the powers Of de
strUction become so terrific and so cheap.
YOU are hasteniu- the time Of the interna-
tional parliament"
Gen. Allen said that the corps was build
ING. in Omaha. large aerodrome. 2o) feet
long. 100 feet wide. and 50 feet high.
where the Signal Corps. stationed I'm the
region. will be trained Later. he said.
an aerOdTome would probably he erected
on the Atlantic coast and one on the
Pacific coast.
I'VE are more interested in the dirigible
balloon than IN the aeroplane" he said.
and shall make our gas by the electric
process The LIQUID air process had been
tried. he said. but was not successful.
General Allen said that he understood
Secretary Taft would as kCOnEress for
100000 for the prosecution Of the work.
a res luton was adopted asking Presi-
dent Roosevelt 10 interCcde with Con-
gress IN behalf Of the new branch Of
military activity.
Maj. Squires said that the radical in
huence OF aerial navigation on the meth
DDS of warfare would compare with the
invention Of gun-powder or the tactics
Of Frederick the Great
1.-THE practical derigible balloon is here
now" the major said. The last war was
conducted strictly in line with the text
books. accompanied at times with IN
limited slaughter The great object Of
war is 10 bring about a decisive result
with a minimum destruction Of human
life. IF we could utilize scientific princi-
pies 10 bring about this result, without
killing any one. it would be the IDEAL
The cavalry is designed to scout and de-
velop. II not for use, I'm the handling and
operation of the army with which It
serves.
Aerial navigation furnishes us with an
additional weapon for obtaining infor-
nation and for using the information
thus obtained. It will enable the ma
neuvering Of armies by strategic marches
and surprises to bring about decisive re-
suits with minimum destruction Of life
Trained observers can leave a frontier.
scout about an enemy's country, and re-
turn in "a single night with information
Of vital Importance. The great principle
in handling immense armies IS team
play. The aerial navigation will bring
about this concerted action
THE Hague conference took the matter
up. Airships are already regarded by
the leaders Of military thought as a
military weapon. Whether or not the
dropping Of high explosives on defense
less people will be permitted. 7 cannot
tell I can see how il is possible. even
now. to tow a lot Of high explosives with
a dirigible balloon and drop the tow ap-
proximately at the point desired"
Admiral Chester. speaking for the naval
side Of the work. said that it had recently
come to light that balloons were used by
the navies as well as by the armies in
voived in the late Russo-Japanese war.
Sufficient Is learned he said, from ac-
tual practice to substantiate the theory
that the airship is likely to become the
long-sought antidote against attacks from
submarines.
The elevation enables the observer TO
discover the movements of submarines
under the water, and floating mines and
stationary mines may be detected
1T is to be hoped that the authorities
may consider the matter Of sufficient i'm
portance to warrant the establishment Of
an aeronautic corps. which has been done
in all the principal armies OF the world.
as well as IN the Russian. Austrian, and.
I believe other navies Of Europe"