The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1912-11-28

~ reference to the battle above
N the clouds" is anything but 8
historical allusion. 1t is a refer
ence entirely to the future-to the very
near future at that-when every great
battle by land or sea. they predict. will
be preceded, If not decided, by a real
battle above the clouds. That Is the
kind of battle they believe already
made possible by recent developments
In aviation. The next great war, they
think, will make Ii real. Many Of them
expect to see this battle above the
clouds, and few. of them hope to par
ticipate in it.
This is a strong statement to make.
and it may well cause surprise. But the
surprise comes chiefly perhaps as re
suit of a policy heretofore strange to
the history of American military
science. That is the policy of silence,
which was adapted from the more sin
lister codes of older nations just about
the time that travel by air began to
gain serious recognition. This explains
why the gradual improvement of the
airship and aeroplanes as fighting ma
chimes has escaped attention at the
aerial meets, where every year records
have been steadily broken. But this
same secrecy in the improvement OF a
potentially mighty engine of destruc-
ton makes the Improvement more sig
nificant. 1t suggests that at no dis
tant date every resource of the military
aviator may be tried to the utmost in
a battle royal the like of which has
never yet been seen.
Rival Bureaus at Work.
Already rival bureaus in the war and
navy departments are in ii neck and
neck race. the sole meaning of which is
that the aerial fighting machine is al
ready here. The ordnance bureau of
the navy department has already per-
fected a gun designed to aim at high
angles for the destruction of airships.
In both departments the work of i'm
proving the aeroplane. both as scout
and as possible gun platform for seri-
Gus fighting. is steadily going on.
Just before he started on the tour of
military posts which now engages
him Major General Leonard Wood.
chief of staff. discussed military avia-
ton frankly. expressing the opinion
that battles may shortly be fought in
the air and urging the need of devel-
oping our flying corps. While the gen
eral did not touch on this phase of the
question. 1t is generally recognized
that fighting airships will tend greatly
with a small standing army. This
argument was forcibly presented at
the recent peace congress in opposi-
ton to motion forbidding the use of
aerial craft In war. and it is an argu-
ment conceded to have peculiar refer
ence to the United States, which ira
ditionally has kept the army down to
the smallest possible peace footing.
81 wish 1t were possible" said Cen
eral Wood earnestly. for every officer
in the army to take flight in an
aeroplane with the army aviators. |
believe that by this means we could
obtain enough officers willing to make
a life study of the great possibilities
Of the aeroplane as an instrument of |
make this country the fore
most in the field of aviation. l am In 1
favor of encouraging aviation In every |
possible way-just now | am support |
ing the bill pending in congress giving /
army aviators 20 per cent bonus In
| firmly believe 1t is not
die talk to say that future battles
nay be fought In the air"
In more graphic detail the same pos
'ibility was outlined by Lieutenant
Colonel George p. Scriven. who In the
absence of Brigadier General James
Allen. the chief signal officer of the
Irmy, directs from Washington the OPP
rations of the signal corps.
The Lewis Gun.
1.-THE aeroplane as an engine OF
var?" echoed Colonel Scriven when
he first question was put to him. "Of-
ensive? No. Defensive? Yes. The
question of firm bases for landing and
he limited flying range of the aero
lanes at once come in. But suppose
hostile fleet off Sandy Hook. for in
lance, were to attempt to land a force
omewhere. say, on the Jersey coast.
IS aeroplanes have already developed.
would be impossible for the enemy {
D send a single boat ashore until they
ad literally cleared the air
81 can't discuss the machine gun the
rdnance bureau is working on for use
rom airships But the Lewis gun will T
erve as an illustration. That was in [
ented and patented by Lieutenant {
olonel Isaac ~ Lewis of the coast a
.tillery, and our aviators have tried a
at College Park. 1t weighs only a
twenty-five pounds and fires the serv- c
e rifle bullets at the rate of $50 shots II
minute, not counting the few sec T
IDS lost In changing cylinders. Be- &
des the man at the wheel and the Il
an at the gun and supply of gaso- s.
re good for several hours In the air
rate of fifty or more miles an le
,ur, the present machine can carry Il
300 rounds of ammunition ~
''That gives you the situation. The a
lacking feet will come, of course. a.
nvoying transports. The decks of n
e transports will DO crowded with al
en-, and If they attempted to load ds