The Washington herald., 1909-05-30

I Of lack Of funds TO maneuver with il at
( Fort Myer. Yet K would seem that the
( first place in the country where an at
+ tempt should be made TO learn all about
I the air currents and other local condi-
/ tions affecting aircraft would De around
/ Washington. Brig. Gen. James Allen.
I chief signal officer OF the army, has
made persistent but unsuccessful efforts
/ 10 obtain from Congress sufficient appro-
1 priatiO1s TO enable the army TO carry on
+ aerOnaUtical experiments and practice.
yet the few thousand dollars available
I for this purpose is now exhausted. ex-
/ cept an amount sufficient TO pay the
F Wright brothers IS. 900 and a n Herring
s39.oJo in case his heavier-than-air ma
chine comes up to specifications
The more one studies the subject Of
aircraft from a military standpoint and
IN conjunction with the military situa-
/ ton in this country the more Obvious
/ becomes the necessity Of keeping abreast
I Of the other nations in the development
and application of this new and power
| weapon OF war. With n force Of expert
aviatOrs and an aerial feet which can
/ be constructed at a relatively moderate
/ cost. either Canada or Mexico might out
/ strip Us quickly as a military power. and
/ in the event Of hostilities cause US endless
| annoyance. humiliation. and loss OF life
/ before we become able to cope with either
/ country.
New Lines of Defense.
/ The Atlantic and Pacific. which have al
ways been our natural protection in a
/ military sense, do not present the same
/ obstacles to invasion where aircraft are
used. The aerial feet Of an invading
power. which would probably have
radius Of action of several hundred miles,
/ might easily be brought from Japan or
some European nation on transports OF
war ships to within a hundred miles Of
/ our seabOard, and using the ships as a
/ base Of operations, create frightful havoc
along the coast. attacking any Of our
/ large cities. including Washington.
/ Airships and aeTOplanes are relatively
/ inexpensive, and as weapons of war the
risk they run. both in life and money,
I from The death of the aviators or the
/ destruction OF the craft, is inffnitesimal
I IN comparison with the destruction they
I can cause
| While We a-e spending millions for bat
Z tie ships and submarines. It seems folly
( for the government not to spend al least
thousands IN aircraft. which IN the very
/ next var may demonstrate EIeiT GDlAlty
/ 10 destroy o. capture entire navies as
mere chIld's play and make Dread
uOughts' q joke. A whole fleet of efficient
aircraft. with some secret mechanical i'm
I prOvements. may be constructed at the
1 price OF one battle ship, and in q few
weeks. instead Of year or more. The
/ fact that an aerial fleet can be con-
structed quickly. inexpensiveiy, and Sc
I cretly puts such a weapon within the
reach OF any small country to whom
the possession Of a battle ship or the
equipping Of q large Weil-tTained army
would be az imp5ssibility. II begins to
lock TOW as K the very time when war
seemed almost an impossibility because
Of its great CzTense a most deadly and
inexpensive weapon has been supplied 10
man with which 10 destroy his fellows.
Nation WouId Be Helpless.
Suppose. for example. that japan in her
secretive manner is building a feet OF
aircraft. and should get them ready only
a few weeks earlier than We could launch
similar force II We should suddenly
go to war with her, she could do US