The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-05-17

hope to save the lives of his com rades God Himself tells us how worthy are such sacrifices: Greater love than this no man. hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends
 If one be under the authority of others in those callings which involve the obligation of mourning great dan gers for the public welfare as the soldier, the sailor. the fireman, the po- liceman, the. hospital nurse, etc., he need not examine whether circum- stances be such as to warrant the ex- their responsibility rests upon his su- periors; his part is to obey orders.
 It is unlawful to expose ones life to grave danger, for the sake of show ing off ones daring or dexterity. Hence theologians condemn such exhi- loop, the flying trapeZe, and so forth. But they add that if, either by pre- cautions or by his own skill, an in- dividual so lessens the danger to life that it is no longer grave. these, so far as he is concerned, are permissible.
 We may now apply these principles to aviation. The record of the past year shows that the number of deaths resulting from it bears a shocking proportion to the number of persons engaged. Hence these take part in it at the imminent risk of their lives. Can they do so in .conscience?
 TWO GLASSES OF AvIATORs.
 There may be two classes of avia- tors; those who study aviation scien- tifcally for the public good, and those who make it source of gain. The former are to be subdivided into those who study it of their own ini- tiative. and those. military men es- pecially, who study it under orders. To answer the question with regard to the first class one must consider the good to be obtained and the pos sibility of reducing the danger of death. Aviation clearly offers no such Vestigators to expose their lives with out limit to serious danger On the other hand, it seems within certain limits to promise some utility to SO- ciety, hence experimenting in it would be lawful provided the risk of death can be reduced. It must be noted very carefully that this reduction of sine qua non. It is an essential ele- ment of practical aviation. It is not aviation, but safe aviation, that will confer benefit on mankind. Hence safety in aviation must be the prin- cipal object of scientific experiments. The improving of the machine, rath- CT than length and speed of flight, must be sought first of all. Such experimenting implies sobriety and method, which are to be obtained by privacy. Experiments should be made, as a rule, in the presence of those only who are able by their scientific knowledge to give counsel as to what will make the art. more secure. Of such private experiments ing the motto should be that of all true science: "Festina lente'' One step should be made before another is at tempted and the experimenter should be content to go forward step by step and not seek strides and leaps.
 UNDER ORDERS.
 Such precautions would in our<opin- ion, make it lawful for one to engage of his own initiative in the scientific study of aviation. With regard to military. men, we remark that the utility of aviation appears more clear ly in connection with their profession than with regard to the general pub- lie. Hence they are more free to eX- pertinent in it. Moreover, as we have seen, their calling supposes serious danger of life for the publics good, and they have to obey orders. Where fore though, as far as possible, they must use the precautions we have in dicated, the chief responsibility for those rests upon their superiors.
 FOR MERE LUCRE.
 "A for gain, we do not see how, as things are to-day, their practice can be ap- proved. Aviation is far more dan- gerous than rope dancing or the fly ing trapeze, and the constant recur- renee of fatalities shows that the av iators neither have acquired the skill nor taken the precaution to eliminate or lessen the peril. No useful end can be conceived as the result of their records and downward swoopS and plunges, as the most scientific avia- tors admit These and similar featS are undertaken only for the purpose of moving admiration by the skill and nerve they require. We admit the value of skill and nerve ill men with a good prospect of life; and if such spectacular aviation can be made as safe as hunting and polo, we should be glad to see young men eXchang- ing the hunter and the pony for the monoplane and biplane. But. skill and nerve in men at the gates of death is worthless.
 Some may think that the enormous prizes to be gained by such feats jus tify one in exposing his life to immi- nent peril. But this is not so. There is no proportion between the two. Moreover the means used to collect the money for the prizes, as well as to give them, is unlawful. The avia- tion meet has become speculation. Spectators to furnish the funds have to be attracted. The performances, therefore, must be spectacular In this each meeting must surpass it's predecessor. The consequence is a steady rise in fatalities which cannot be justified.
 The promoting of such meetings is to be looked upon in the same light as