Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-05-28
scouts OF THE AIR.
Part Airships Will Play In War
fare, Says Maxim.
TO BE NO BIG BATTLES AL0FT

carry Much Ammunition, says the
lnventor-May Be Slight Clashes In
Upper Air-Arships as Peaeemakers.
Hudson Maxim, the man who invent
ed smokeless powder, who discovered
the first high explosive that will shoot
through armor plate and explode be-
hind it, as well as the wonderful new
system of driving torpedoes and tor
pedo boats that has been adopted by
the United States government, does
not believe the day will ever come
when fleets of airships will battle in
the upper air just AZ navies do now
upon the sea. In this he differs with
more enthusiastic inventors in the field
of aeronautics. Mr.. Maxim believes
he has discovered the principle which
enables a bird to lift its own weight
with so little effort, and he will apply
it to practical use for mankind. But
that is another story, and he is not
ready to tell about it yet.
"The airship" said Mr. Maxim TO
reporter of the New York Evening
World, "will certainly play an impor-
tant part in warfare, hut not in actual
conflict. 1t will be the vedette of the
air-the picket, the outpost, the scout
for the battleships.
IN the first place. do not think that
there will ever be an aeroplane, an
aerostat aerorou, dirigihle balloon, or
whatever you mGy call it, that will
be able to compete with a modern
man-o-war as u destroyer. 1t could
not carry the ammunition or the men,
it could not be so equipped with the
necessary properties of defense to en-
able it to stand any sort Of chance with
an armored cruiser.
"The chief necessity Of warfare is
the eye. 1t is the same as a man
crossing Broadway. He has to see
where he is going and what he is do
ing. and if an airship ever got near
enough to battleship to drop a ton
Of dynamite upon it the distance would
be short enough for the ships gunners
to reach the airship, and with the much
greater advantages of the warship the
aerial cruiser wouldn't stand chance.
81 believe in the modified aeroplane
or flying machine and that its use in
war will be as the eyes of the fleet In
the waters and the armies in the field
below. 1t will be invaluable in the sci
ence of tactics for the chief element of
tactics is to know something before
the enemy knows it, and that the We
dette of the air will make easier.
Imagine two great armies in
mountainous country near to each
other, but ignorant Of their positions,
waiting and lodging for days. A gen
eral of one sends up one of these cloud
land scouts. Skirting over a mountain
range, covering vast distances in one
short trip that would take any kind of
land traveller days to make, its Off
GERS learn Of the whereabouts of the
enemy and report, giving an advantage
Of inestmable value. The same would
apply to two fleets Of battleships wait
ing to 90 into battle.
The principal thing in any class OF
conflict is to strike heavier blows than
the enemy is capable Of striking and
before the enemy can strike, and an
air picket of the kind | have in mind
this an easy matter"
Mr.. Maxim believes there viii be
fights in the air. but holds that they
will never exceed the importance of
such sklrmishes as are common in war
fare when two parties of scouts chance
to meet. The air craft he says, win
not be able TO carry many men or guns,
and the idea of two fleets of them
skimming around and firing broadsides
or boarding each other he regards rs
ridiculous.
I've shall have our torpedo boats
and torpedo boat destroyers of the
air" he says. "but they viii lie airy
fairy and frail craft compared with the
pTim steel monsters Of the sea. and
their chief mi sion VIII be to a"a'f con
hict and in fact, to keep as much out Of |
sight as is possible. They also would |
he invaluable as features of coast de |
fense but l want to be put on record |
as denying the probability Of their ever !
being practical as machines Of often. |
sive warfare"
As peacemakers Mr.. Maxim thinks |
the vedettes of the air win be more !
powerful than any of the other engines |
of war invented. His theory is that /.
the more YOU reduce fighting t. q uues- |
ton of machinery the more expensive |
fighting becomes, because machinery is |
more expensive than men
a man IL q u0,t.,1 i1 f',4 f~rrra nf /