New-York tribune., 1910-11-20
UNCLE

=. ~,,press is not vigilant OF lis OWN az
tions the United States army VIII so'i4 D
-,-ozide6 with acceptance. A hGiioe y
f-onrressr7len have never seen an hei'
,,loxr M a battleship during SctuAi iioS-
ties or even in the time OF peace ailo Heii0.
are harassed by doubts as 10 the scope %
80 ,s-on,srp'. work as an instrument VI
war It has been this inaoll's Oh Niie pa
= "a. inventors and army officers to give
8 practical demonstration OF how sooo'
e.-orlaue might cripple a sl5.00-"U breao-
-. ord do many other weird and eHeC-
80 -l,;,ps that has thus far enabled Con-
.,.ass-nen 10 show patronizing front 10 lhe
- (-ong~essrnen could not see no"
,.,,,v Thar was snokeless could be worm
-. money charged for the good old PITTS
burg sort.
pa-3a,s this Congress VIII wait and iet
-1ra next get the honor OF being nrst 10 GO
+. ,,,,- things now seem brighter than ever
l.efo-e in the matter OF appropriation ns
4.,a- bodv for military aeroplane expeTl-
,,,ea5s Jacob II. Dickinson, Secretary OF
War bas been travelling around the world
Fse saw in Europe and Japan men III hi-'ii-
tar-v uniforms plotting dlrigioies eho aeto
t'snes in mock TnanPuyres. he sa" "ta'
t-ese air scouts could see OF the lay Oh ~ie
c1huT.d. the position OF the enemy, because
I
destined TO form the fourth arm OF IN-oe
in ne military life Of the nations
~ Dickinson few as q passenger once
~, -s,,ained aloft in an aeroplane for more
ian thirty minutes. travelling Tniie
minute. and when he came down he saio
h. mad felt as safe the whole time as i
. had been in an automobile and, contrary
I'd. no automobile 6 whole lot o. otheT peo-
la had fel- safer This vas the SecFe-
ta-,-s little Joke which he did not permit
sarC &c befog the minds Of his frienas-
Tho United States Secretary Of War hsn
renae 10 2 decision in serious nialeei'
WITHOUT referring 10 his notes re hNe"
,aa5 the United States army nao one
a.roDlane one only. and that 1t was some
v-i-ere either in Texas Or at Fort MSe''
A,,,-v-a,- Secretary Dickinson from thaI
moment was an advocate OF aeroplsnlo
sS,-ancer.=nt for the armies O. the Chi'eo
states and when ne arrived in Ne" hol
= f.syy dsvs ago he said before leaving ms
s-ear,9sbir- II obtain the PRESIDENT
approval 10 do so. I shall urgently reeo'N-
.-,and 70 Congress q special appropriation
fo- aeropIane experiments IN auNt'iOeu
s.-ons,,rtcs only is our army behind The
armies Of Europe and that OF japan L l
f.ai5.z-e that before long the aeroplane VIII
4
destructive agencies OF wa want ou'
.--,,,- - least on an even footing with the
.-7,iss OF the world, or ahead OF them III
mis- -~s7,ect And / want to begin al once
Sr,rnose the President does approve OF
rE- Dic.inson's plan and Congress does
sc- ref9-e the next war proves the aero
,.r,.r. no fluffy -uffses intended solely 10
make q pretty picture against the daT.I
llls. velvetira Of the sky suppose
Congress appropriates money TO place me
tinted States al least on an equal SKY
scouting basis with those European ana
F7a~ East armies that Secretary L1cK-h-
seu has reviewed. How much has been
core bv countries having no congressTiien
or. which having something very like nave
somehow made the necessary ripple in me
financial pool? 1t is a short but interest
i4ir story. In case OF war to-day the IN
rerest would robably increase.
Take our sister republic France Sh'
welcomed the Wrights with a kiss on eaci
cheek The French army has made eA
la,.s-i,e. tnunlinative experiments With the
aeroplane The experiments Furthermore
have been wonderfully successful, sur
r,rlsingIy so even 10 the French. who from
the first flights at lie Mans talked ecstatlc
ally when they did not sing sonneIs.
This autumn ten aeroplanes. an arm,
officer az the wheel Of each, with all tht
precision required II carrying out nilitar!
ORDERS flying back and forth as regular
scouts over the troops engaged in the an
rual French manPuvres, brought oeGr
v nat would in real conflict have been price
less information 20 their commanders. tn.
altitude Of the aeroplane was taken wheT
rcssIble. and the hour and minute OF tbs
raking OF the observation were recorded
and these were later compared with the
e1fuation as II was known TO have existed
This was not done TO please the worner
or 10 help poets obtain copy So serious
was Il all that the results obtained ars
zeaIously guarded by the French militar5
authorities.
As result Of the information brought
from the clouds by the dashing scouts, the
general plans Of both armies al the nsannru-
sres were changed For instance, Genera