Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-14
WEEK OF TRIUMPH

nY the discovery of new possibilities
II in aeroplanes, by the satisfactory
= practical demonstration of the
general reliability of flying machines
of all modern types. and by the
achievement of records which even the
most sanguine hardly dared think
probable, the aviation meet at Los An
geles is more than justifying the great
est expectations of those who planned
it. At Aviation field a new era has
been introduced, new age has been
begun.
The world is in the first stage Of a
general revolution. That this revolu-
ton may be entirely benefcent in its
operation and result is the ardent wish
of all men who are good and true. AT
last the cooperative progress of the
race win be made easily possible. AT
last war will be eliminated from the
plans of the world At last boundary
lines will become merely artificial. At
last man is not penned to any country,
but may truly believe himself to be
citizen of the world.
His emancipation has been very slow.
In the earlier ages the intermarried
inhabitants of one village formed
clan and made war on the intermarried
inhabitants of a village over the hill.
When a hill road was established the
rival villagers fraternized Then the
operation was repeated with states and
sections and then with countries. Ma
tior1s are Is yet inconlpletely acquaint-
ed. One civilization sneers at another.
The Caucasian despises the civiliza-
ton of the Oriental. People Of one ma
ton regard the people of another as
representatives of different species,
to be feared or to be bullied.
Swift ocean steamers have anchor
ated conditions somewhat. And Amer
lea, the vast fusing-pot of all races, has
to some extent received and COM
mingled in a common citizenship rep
resentatives of nations that under more
primitive conditions hated each other,
and slew at sight.
As the world becomes better ac-
quainted the same phenomenon which
has marked individual types Of civili-
zation will mark general civilization.
The private individual no longer trav-
els armed, ready to use his weapon on
fellow mortal on slight provocation.
Civilization will abandon the collective
use of arms by national families. AL
ready, according to the expert testi-
mony of the aviators, the usefulness"
q. e. destructive power) of warships
has been minimized. If airships ever
should be employed for warlike pur-
poses (and it is barely possible they
may have to be used JUST ONCE, in
order to teach the world the most ter
rible lesson of its history, they will
render helpless and obsolete all the
warships. Naval programs might as
well be abandoned. A mercantile fleet
carrying armed aeroplanes will be
more than a match for any war feet
sent by an enemy to intercept it and
harass commerce. All the merchant
men would need to do would be to
"lie back and watch results" Or they
might use their lifeboats in rescuing
drowning men from the shattered war;
ships of the enemy.
Warships are useless. Armies are
equally useless. What chance would
the greatest army ever assembled on
foot or on horseback or in automo-
biles have against an airship fleet?
For the airship fleet knows no land
and no water. 1t can sail over sea and
over shore.
The world might as well abandon
militarlsm. The success of our great
aviation meet will add to the fame of
our glorious city and to the renown
of the Los Angeles way.
Many and great and wonderful are
the achievements of Los Angeles. But
glorious, epochal Aviation week is the
crowning achievement of ALL Greater
Los Angeles has provided the facilities,
the opportunity and the finances for
a conclusive demonstration the time is
at hand when the war drums will
throb no longer, when the battle flags
will be furled and the councillors of
the nations will meet in the parlia-
ment of man, the federation of the
world.