The Washington herald., 1911-10-01

WAYS found of operating the moving
picture machine from the aeroplane in
practical way, such a result will as far
eclipse the ordinary photographing done
by FoulOis and Hare from their swift
moving aeroplane as making photographs
from an aerOplane eCipses making pic
lures from a steady. SlOw-mOving balloon.
The first actual aeroplane war scout
ing and aerial map-making in history
was done on a fiight from Laredo, Tex,
on Friday. March ?. 1911, lasting lO6
miles The most intimate pictures OF
dangerous flying country were made, and
the Photographic results. shown to eX-
perts in such things. have been declared
to be almost perfect.
Ravines and GrrOyOS filled with catcus
and great stone powders were faithfully
reproduced by the camera in detail, and
these photographs. brought by an air
scout to any commanding general, would
have been OF the utmost value to him in
ena bling him to form conclusions as TO
the movement oC troops and points of Of
fense or defense. Other pictures clearly
showed lakes over which the Rir-scOuts
few with the sides Of the banks of the
lakes surrounded by bowlders, cactus, and
trees.
Pictures Arc Excellent.
All details and features were clearly
alone. would have been of immense value
to commanding officers as showing the
location of water, If for no other rea-
sons Other pictures there were. show
ing towns. villages. roads. railroads. and
other intimate details Of the enemy's
country" such as had TO be gathered
in the old days of before the aeroplane,
afoot or on horseback. from spy or
! friendly native. slowly. laboriously. and
with infinite patience and delay.
Eolum" upon volume of these excellent
photographs are on file in the office
Of Brig. Gen. James Allen, Chief Signal
Officer Of the army; Brig Gen. W. w.
WOtherSpOOn. president of the Army War
College. and Capt. Templin NJ. Potts.
chief of naval intelligence of the Navy
| Department.
Visiting army and navy officers abroad
have been shown these pictures. with all
their intimate detail and many, especially
those of Washington. taken from the
Signal Corps balloons. have been given
! out in a whOle-hearted manner by Uncle
Sam for publication here and abroad, on
the theory that it is as well to be polite
| and give a thing that some one else can
| get anyhow as to be impolite and re-
| fuse.
This is the theory of our government at
one day:
General. you don't mean to say that
you show foreign naval and army Of
fiCers these things, do you?"
of course" was the instant reply.
We are glad to let people see what We
are accomplishing. We like TO be polite
| and give out correct information rather
| than have it sought from us piecemeal
and obtained from irresponsible sources
| in an incorrect manner
Those Who Deserve Credit.
That is one reason why it is possible
to obtain photographs made or the city
of Washington and its environs made
from balloons. These balloon photo
graphs. by the way. are the first at
Itempts of the Signal Corps OF the army
at aerial map-makiug, and in many re-
speCts they are the best.
To Lieut. Lahm. Capt. Chandler, and
Lieut. Foulois. the first of the army
'sky-pilots.' IN the old days at Fort
Myer. when the army first begun to ex-
pertinent with Capt. Thomas s. Bald