The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-24

man who Is managing a great undertake ing and learned from him some significant and interesting facts about the newest and most difficult of modern sciences. I refer to Mir. J. s. Berger of the Berger Aviation company, whom I caught in a reflective mood over at the Florence hotel.
 MT. Berger said that aviation is max ing greater strides at present than ever before and that the aeroplane is beeom- ing more and more a vital factor in the practical life of the day. Congress, he went on to say, through it's own initiative, has recently officially recognized aviation by appropriatng $125,0oO for the current fiscal year, and it Is believed and hoped that this beginning will go on with rapid progress, commensurate with the impor- tance of the great subject.
 Mr. Berger says that the aeroplane stands today an acknowledged part of the conventional equipment of every army and within the past few weeks it has demontsrated its usefulness in actual war fare in Tripoli.
 The war department, says MT. Berger, has at present seven aeroplanes; one at Manila, one at San Antonia, five at the Signal Corps Aviation school, Augusta. Ga At present there are eight qualified aviators and four additional officers under instruction.
 As further proof of the deep interest being taken in aviation. MT. Berger says that at the recent Aero clubs annual banquet at Sherry's, in New York, some of the most noted ffnanciers military, magazine and navy men, diplomats and public officers in this country were pres ent. Robert J. Collier was toastmaster and at the guests table were President Taft, J. Jules Jusserand, French ambas- sador; John Hays Hammond, Wilbur Wright Rear Admiral Robert F. Peary, U. S. N; Lieut. Gen. Nelson A. Miles. U. S. A; Mai. j.-Gen. Leonard Wood, |. S. A; Brig Gen. James Allen, U. s. A; Capt. Washington I. Chambers, U. s. N; Clar- ence H. Mackay, Charles Dana Gibson, Calbraith P. Rodgers. Claud Grahame- White, Prof. Willis l.. Moore, J. C. Mont gomery, William Travers Jerome, Harold F. Mccormick and James A. Blair, Jr.
 Active in France
 lover in France" MT. Berger went on to say, they are taking up with aviation to greater extent than here. When the war and naval budgets came up recently in the French parliament aviation was one of the leading subjects for discussion. It was said that the appropriation for aviation purposes in 1911 had been B, 400. .000, but that in 1912 they anticipated spending $4, 4OO, eco, and that in 1913 it was expected that the sum of s5,000,o00 would be eX- pended.
 M. Mileraud, the secretary of war,
 e-.. 4t, army in detail He said it included what would be known as 15 drigible cruisers. The army now possesses POS avions, or military aeroplanes, and would have 3ii by the end of 1912. Plans have been drawn for 30 centers of aviation by 1913. There would then be 2S4 officers acting as pilots, 210 observers, 42 mechanics, 1900 sappers and $50 soldiers trained in aviation work, with the necessary adjuncts, such as au- tomobles, repair trucks and traction en- gines.'
 Every day brings in at headquarters of the Berger Aviation company the Busi- ness Mems league. Chamber of Commerce building, many requests to ride with the Berger aviators. This is a good symp- tom of local interest.
 The minister of war" says MT. Der ger lis going to send three Samese off, ficers to America the coming summer to learn aviation and to purchase aero planes.
 The aeroplane has proven it's vital iin- portanee in warfare of today" MT. Der ger went on to say. With France taking the same command of the air that Great Britain has taken of the sea the aeronau- tical navies of the leading powers of the world are forming themselves into val uable and. as many believe. indispensable arm of national defense. Little by little statistics on the development of air craft for military use in the European coun- tries have filtered into the records of the war department until it is now possible to make a fairly complete estimate of the relative air strength of the leading DOW CTS.