The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-03-11
WHY O0EsN'T UNCLE SAM co TO
/ THE MURDER0US AER0PlANE?
h Can Kill More People, work
More Devastation and Cause
More Human Misery than ANY
other Agency Known--And 30
Cheaply, Too, as Compared
with the Battleship Which Gan
! ONLY Kill It's Thousands!
By ellison Gardner.

/ WASHINGTON, D. c., March
10.-Flying machine enthusiasts
lare frankly disappointed at the
failure of congress to make an ap-
Ipropriation for aeroplanes In the
lcurrent war budget. Members OF
congress have received COMMUNE
cations from officials OF the aero
club and from many people VINO
have studied this subject. Iney
lbelieve the Importance OF this IN
yention as an engine of war has
been overlooked.
Among those who hold such
opinions is DR.. Albert F. Zahm,
| of the Catholic University of
America, a personal friend OF
Prof. Langley, and recognized as
an authority on aerodynamlcs.
discussing the failure of congress
in this regard, Prof. Zahm says:
"I believe that the Importance
of the aeroplane has been In a
great measure lost sight of in the
attention which has been given to
dirigible balloons. The aeroplane
is a very different thing, and the
things which 1t may accomplish
when it is fully developed are al
most without limit. For instance,
it has been demonstrated repeat
eddy already that an aeroplane can
rise in all ordinary weather, car
rying two men and sufficient fuel
to fly two or more hours at a
speed of 40 miles an hour. One
Of the men may be replaced by an
equal weight of high explosive.
The flyer can be launched either
from land to attack a fleet at sea,
or from a ship to attack inland
defenses. The two can be dropped
without danger to the aviator, and
with sufficien accuracy to destroy
such public defenses as are vul-
nerable to high explosives-ar-
senals, supply depots, transporta-
ton lines, legislative and execu-
tive buildings, to say nothing of
sowing fire over cities, farms and
forests. Unfortunately, there has
been devised no effective defense
against aeroplanes, except other
air craft. They are swifter than
cavalry, harder to strike, and a
hundred-fold more deadly.
1 "a thousand aeroplanes cost
! the price of one battleship. A
thousand aeroplanes, circlfng
| from land to sea, can rain a hum
dred tons of melinite per hour up
on a fleet beyond the striking
range of shore guns, each explo-
lsive missile having the weight of
Ia large man. One such missile,
tstriking favorably, can seriously
lderange a heavily armored vessel,
Tor, striking transport, can In
Istantly destroy her.
| ION the other hand, an ocean
lliner can carry thousand aero
planes with aviators and equip
ment. These can be assembled on
4 deck and launched thence, OF
from floats on the sea. They can
circle far inland to spy or demol-
fish, returning to the ship for new
charges.
4 Such Is the technical status
What is the political7 The most
/ enlightened nations have rapidly
n growing aerial fleets, both fol
|EInnd use and Il accompany ocean
/ |! f q. AZ Gee sns
s.. q = - II ~
s0f III srent natiohs, kinsrlcl
| lis notoriously weak and deffcien
| In this branch Of the military ser
vice. Notwithstanding that tn,
practical aeroplane was first pro
duced In this country, and wal
offered to this government as [
secret and exclusive right, 1t hat
to go abroad to find due apprecia