The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-09-02


such a storm of controversy in Eng
land as the recent death of Charles s.
Rolls in an aviation meet at Bourne
mouth, says the Washington Star
Rolls was well known in America as a
sportsman, first as an automobilist and
later as an aviator. He held the mile
record for the automobile for a long
time and was the first man to make a
round trip in an aeroplane over the
English channel. He was killed July
10 by the breaking of his aeroplane in
competition at Bournemouth.
He was trying for the prize in land
ing within a specified circle, and made
sensational dive through the air.
Probably he would have succeeded
and won fresh fame as an aviator, but
his machine was not equal to the
strain thrown on it and crumpled up
while in the air. Mr.. Rolls was well
known and greatly admired here as a
would be one of the English team at
the coming international aviation meet
in this country. His death was great
ly regretted and official condolences
were sent to England by the Aero Club
of America.
Protest Against Aviation.
But in England his death raised
storm of protest against aviation in
any form. The English mind regards
human life very highly, and the mere
fact that a man is killed there in any
way is taken much more seriously
than in this country. Further, des-
pite the recent parliamentary squabble
over abolishing the house of lords, the
English mind has a species of congo
NAL reverence for the peerage, so that
it was rather worse for an aeroplane
to kill even the second son of a lord
than it would have been to kill an or
binary citizen, and much worse than
if the deceased was a foreigner.
When a good Englishman of stand
ing has a public opinion that he wants
to disgorge he writes a communica-
ton to a London paper, preferably to
the Times. That is better than max
ing an after-dinner speech, because
the audience is larger and the Times
has more official standing than the
Congressional Record, and certainly a
larger circulation than the London Ga
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bestowal of Victoria Crosses and swine
fever orders. However, the Times
did not start the aviation correspond
ence this time. 1t was the Chronicle,
and there have just appeared therein a
series of letters under the caption els
it Worth While?" from such citizens
as Canon Rawnsley, Admiral Free
mantle, Admiral Sir Cyprian Bridge,
and Major General Sir Alfred Turner
The gist of the correspondence is
that aviation is vicious and unna-
tural practice and that it ought to be
prohibited by the home secretary or
some other authority.
One of the distinguished correspond
ents of the Chronicle says that aside
from use in war, the art of aviation
has not brought single gift to the
human race" 1t consequently ought
to be prohibited. 1t is pointed out in
number of the letters than man new
er has flown up to date and the world
has gotten on very well, consequently
man was not intended by the Creator
to fly. 1t is an unholy vocation and
should be prohibited by law.
In Too Big a Hurry.
Admiral Bridge does not take quite
such a drastic view of the situation.
He says that the trouble is that the
human race is trying to do too much
all at once in the field of aviation. He
says that it is simply case of trying
to run before they can walk.
Canon Rawnsley, however, does not
take such a mild view of it. He says
that he fears the feverish haste of
man to conquer the air comes from
the knowledge that it will be the bat
tleground of the future. He says that
this is an immoral scheme to break up
the restfulness Of heaven and import
war into the one region that might
have been reserved from it, He says
that submarines and flying machines
both take war into regions where the
war-weary might suppose there was to
be peace.
He says in conclusion that he has
often felt like quoting the words of
the psalmist and yearning for the
wings of dove so he might fly away
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