The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-31
AIRCRAFT HAVE
NO PRACT|CAD|[|TY
For Army or Navy Says a
Naval Officer
CONTINUE EXPERIMENTS
United States Government Cannot At
ford to Drop Behind In Modern
Ideas That May De of
Future Value
BY SIDNEY EsPEY

SiltpSt dill5iDlc DdliOOiiob oci OpioiiNS NAte
other kinds of aerial craft, as at present
built, are of absolutely no practical use
to either the army or the navy of the
United States"
This is direct quotation of one of the
highest naval officers of the line at pres
ent on duty at Washington Although
keen enthusiast over aerial navigation, as
applied to the military branches of the
government, his practical ideas have led
him to make an unofficial statement
which, 1t is stated, Is the coneensus or
opinion of both army and naval officials.
Tor obvious reasons he will not allow his
name to be mentioned. AS the United
States cannot afford to drop behind other
nations in experimenting with various
means of offense and defense. expert
ments will continue to be made in both
branches of the service. 1t is the hope
that the aerial craft will ultimately be-
come of great value to these branches
as It is pointed out that both the army
and the navy need an efficient scouting
corps, capable of obtaining advance in
formation of an enemy's movements.
For this purpose 1t is said airships
would be of great advantage according
to experiments SO far conducted along
these lines
Bomb throwing from craft that sail
n the air, has, 1t is said. been rather
more spectacular than practical. Quick
starts, high flying and long distance
flying have not demonstrated the effic-
iency of the air craft from a military
standpoint The only lessons drawn from
the airship manoeuvers, it is said, is that
in some instances they might be used as
scouts This Is particularly true in the
army, for here, 1t is said. the airships
and balloons havePa much wider scope
of duty and efficiency In the navy,
however the airship as well as the BAL
loon has a restricted use and will not
be adopted into general use for years to
come or until some other inventions are
which will revolutionize the art.
One of the experiments upon which
naval officers have based their opinions
Is the one conducted some time ago by
various aviators of throwing bombs
from the air upon naval vessels. Us
ually, it is said. that the air craft sailed
at about 300 feet from the object and
dropped the bombs. At 300 feet the
heaviest gun carried by any warship
could put a flying machine out of bus
mess Taken for granted that bombs
could be thrown with some accuracy of
aim, the damage inflicted upon modern
warship, or even a little torpedo boat.
it Is said. would only amount TO local
matter. But pursuing their line of rea-
sonng just bit further officers say
that an airship, to be of any value in
war would have to fly at least $500 feet
above the sea level to get out of the
range of guns, If they wanted to inflict
any damage on any enemy. At this al
titude dropping would be the merest of
guesswork. Unlike gunnery In the navy,
airshps would not be able to find the
range of an enemy.
In the navy gunnery is, to certain ex-
tent. guesswork. Range finding is OBJ
tanned by firing a preliminary shell. The
splash that necessa rly follows indicates
to the officers the distance of the object
and the second shot is usually placed
where 1t is intended.
With airships. however. sailing at a
height of 250o feet and firing or drop
ping a small bomb. its mark could not.
be distinguished by the aviator and he
consequently would have nothing to in
dictate to him where his missile has fall
len. Hence his accuracy would neces-
sarily suffer In the army, however, is
is said. his Workmanship would be bet
ter, but the damage inflicted would be
very little.
To make the airship better means of
defense, range instruments would have
to be carried by the aviator and besides
an extra passenger for the purpose of
determining exactly what damage the
airshin could inflict.
It is also pointed out that men skilled
In the art of navigating a ship and of
gunnery or rather bomb throwing would
have to be employed. Even with an eff
ficient crew the results as obtained by
this means of warfare would be approx
inately small, either in the army or the
navy.
In the army a few men would be killed
every once In while, one of the old
line officers remarked. A gun would be
smashed here or there or perhaps n
part of defense would be torn apart
but do you think for one minute that any
airship with a ship full of small explo-
sive bombs could seriously cripple an
army? ! think not. but we can't afford
to do away with these experiments as
they might lead to other valuable things
necessary to an aruy's equipment
On the other hand officers Of both army
and the navy who have been actually
participants in the demonstrations that
have been conducted are very enthus-
iastic over the new means Of carrying on
warfare They point out that the air
craft will mean the revolutionizing of
the art of war. War hereafter 1t is ex-
pected, will be carried on largely between
aerial fleets. and the effectiveness of the
navy and the army will depend largely
on what is accomplished between rival
airships These officers say that airships
can travel way out of the range of any
of the guns now supplied to either branch
OF the military arm of the government,
carry sufficient ammunition and fire
straight enough to wreck either a war
ship or a fort. Whether it will be pos
sible to so cripple an army corps or not
is a fact, they say that can only be
demonstrated by actual hostilities. Not
withstanding the diversified opinion that
exists between experts of both the navy
and the army, experiments will continue
to be conducted by the respective
branches and in time it may be the in
tent.on of officers TO add an aerial fleet
to the means of defense now employed
by the United States government.
The state department is pointing with
glowing pride to the effectual work that
has been accomplished by representatives
of the United States in cementing the
bonds of friendship between this coun-
try and the South and Central Amer
lean republics. Recently Major General
Wood. chief of staff of the United States
army, returned home after receiving a
brilliant welcome in Argentine. Not very
many weeks ago six delegates, men
prominent In diplomatic. industrial, scien-
tif;o on1 social iifa in the limited States