The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-06-26
Government Is Beginning to Sit
Up and Take Notice of
AviatiOn's Progress.
CONGRESS- TO BE ASKED
FOR BIG APPROPRIATION
MajOr-General Bell Discusses
Commercial and Military Pos
sibilities of Aeroplane.
BY RALPH M. WHITESIDE.

BY Leased Wire to Tho Tribune.
WASHINGTON, D. c.. June 25.-The
United States government will have a
ternational aviation tournament, which
will be held on Long Island in the fall.
Following the tournament, congress Will
be asked to appropriate $1,000,000 TO
build and equip an nirship fleet.
A more generous recognition of the
aeroplane as factor in war will be
urged by the secretary of war, Secre-
tary Dickinson will probably be pres
ent at the aviation tournament, as will
representatives of the signal corps, who
will be delegated for that purpose.
Officers of tho signal corps have been
urging for some time that the time is
ripe for the government 10 take hand
in aeronautics
For some time Uncle Sam, has been
dabbling in aviation in desultory way,
but the plan now is to build and equip
fleet of flyers just as we have fleet
Of ships to guard our coasts.
Request Was Delayed
The original plan was to ask congress
for an appropriation earlier, but, on
account of the stormy session, this
project was deferred. Now statistics
will be compiled and n report Of the
doIngs of the international tournament
In the autumn will be completed and
read to congress to induce that body
to take action.
Major General Franklin Bell, former
chief of staff OF the United States
army, in discussing the use of the areo~
plane in war times, says:
"The aeroplane has the advantage
over the dirigible, although at the pres
ent time the latter has advanced fur
uher In a sense in a scientific way Tho
dirigible can carry more weight, but
it cannot run against head wind as
an aeroplane can.
"The aeroplane is also the speediest.
The whole science is in such state of
development that only experiments can
work out solution However, for
eign countries have gone ahead and,
in some instances, have given impetus
to exploration in this field by offering
prizes.
Hopes of the Future.
ffI have no doubt that within ten
years, and perhaps within five, aero
pSlnes will have been perfected capable
or carrying from three to five persons,
together with several hundred pounds
of additional weight. BY the time this
comes about the ordnance for the
destruction of aircraft will have been
invented. PreYentlveS, Satety appll"
ances and defensive means are the out.
growth of conditions that make them
necessary. As the aeroplane advances
by various stages, so, also, will destruc
tive agencies aimed at the airship. This
Will also advance with equal strides. ~
The signal corps officers are gather
ing data which will be presented for
the consideration of congress. Japan,
not to be outdone, has tackled the nero
plane problem with great energy. 1t
is believed that one million dollars will
be appropriated by congress. This will
start chain of appropriations, for
money must be spent every year keep
ing up the work, once it is under
taken.
In New York, the Aero Club of
America has already rented a tract of
land two miles square, near Garden
City, J.. l.. whore the great interna-
tional meeting will be held, A grand
stand 10 hold 10000 people Will he
built and a fence fifteen feet high will
be constructed around the field, The
land inside the enclosure will be rolled
and sodded until it is perfectly smooth.
An elliptical course SIX miles IN length
will be laid out and Judges will be sta
rionod around this course. The way
has been smoothed for the bringing of
foreign built machines by foreign avia-
tors. Through the agreement entered
into by Orville and Wilbur Wright with
the Aero club, these machines may be
brought in without fear with such
obliratiOu