The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1909-06-04
RIVALS OF
The AIR.
Two Eastern Countries Pro
duding Aerial Warships
France And Germany Are Com
peting For Supremacy
Of The Skins,

Efanrei and Germany have Just be
gun terrific contest for the mastery
OF the air. Bo.n countries are devot-
ing their finest bratrs their energies
and huge sums OF money in the hopes
Of eventually obtaining that mastery
in the air which Britain has hitherto
he'd at sea.
II was Frence who hEan, 10 for
France las always been a pioneer IN
the devacpmsat Of aerial navigation.
IL was FrenohmaR who mnde tie first
balloon ascect that was ever made
II WAS a FrsnohnaD WHO invented the
Hnt navigable balbon.
Then. again the French were the
Ar5t 90 make use OF bassons n war,
and quite recGrly the Freloh were
the first by Several y6DIt 10 have IN
the n dated La nenrie a modern air
ship equipped for aerial wanare. They
boaet that IN aerial prorass they are
1--WE years ahead Of any other nation.
TIE germans have started mere than
100 years behind their rivals In tie
fight for aerial supremacy. But taay
are nobly making up for lost time,
and experts are divided CT the present
tine as 20 whiuA o. tlase two nations
can claim % tnve the Finest aerial
navy IN Ire word
So rapidly has the process OF the
oretioal experiment been placed by ac-
tual realization by both nations nHiat
few people have yet grasped its signi-
ftcaloe
France sas now "a officers and go
men engaged in airvhip experiments
or in manning the ships she already
has She has five fine military air
slips alraedy finished and six others
beilg completed and for which STABLES
are already being built at various
points eSong the frontier.
Germany has six military airships
built and six others building. She a.
ready has II airsnip stations complete
mostly along the fnontier, ready for
their reception Sic has 20 Officers
end 465 men engaged in the aerial
branch &C the army. Stae also has 2
number Of SPEEDILY constructed guns
to bring down air4tips ''on tie wing.
same OF VI hoh, q a very light type,
are mounbad on swift -moving motor
cars.
So long ago "a 1905 experiments
were undrtes.ken in France with the
Lebau y under war conditions. Il
was found that photos could be taken
without trouble, and the movemnee of
troops and 1ae nature OF 6ortifioa1sons
easily Inspected, AID sent 20 earth.
At a height OF over a thousand feet
aerialto-pe6ces were discharged white
travelling at a rate OF about 80 miles
a.n hour.
ooe OF the Garman airStIps, which
was serety CONSTRUCTED about Two
years ago Is believed TO be armed wit
light guns as well as aerial tn,pesces.
This would enable It to fight any other
asrssps IT might NEST, while others
could only fire on them by going muc !
higher IN the sky 10 discharge their
missiles.
fIhs French Minister Of War has
Just ofered a big prize for the con-
stI-uCuion Of aerial ruisers mueble
of a speed cd over 80 miles an hour;
While Garmany aEnouncas that IN TIE
forthcoming autums Cu-euvtls t,s.
three finest airships, tie Gros. the
PSrtS1vaA and tie Zeppelin will take
a large part
AL the military ainstIps Of both ma
tons have accomplished su,cesasul
fights in various kinds Of weather OF
moIe than a hundred miles.
And so the contest goes ON. Tn
1907 France spent 100000 on her
aerial navy. Last year she facreas, I'd
her expenditure TO e47O,OOO. Ger
many spent e13S,751. The rapid
stride made by the latter may be gaug-
ed by the Sac that two yaers ago she
red Gully five oGfioSrs and $50 men en-
gagged in air1hip experiments.
To T'eahze tie strenuous nature of
the struggle which these two nauious
ere making for the contest OF tine air.
It should be renembaeed that last
year Great Britain only spent $4,000
ON aerfa1 expTim@ts! This year
tls'OOO has bean set aside for the
purpose! We have one airshap and one
aeropaa2e complete. but Neither, OF
them yet proved efficient and another
aenophne Of whdh secret trials aaye
been made, and Of which nothing is
k0nun