The Washington herald., 1912-03-16
AVIATION IN EUROPE.

When the German Kaiser recently Of
fered a prize Of 5000 reichsmark from
his privy purse for the encouraging Of a
mechanical side Of German aviation. one
wonders whether the sstute imperial
mind foresaw the effect OF this patriotic
offer upon France and the French.
The Kaiser's resolve to give financial
and moral support to the cause of avia-
ton in the Fstherlsnd has had a re-
marksble repercussion in France. The
Association General AeronaUtiGue had
not been in existence long when the
Kaiser spoke. II aimed at the creating
Of a national movement for the develop
ing and encouraging OF military aviation
| in France. But the novelty was frail
from its birth. and seemed to have been
born under an unlucky star. Its very
sponsors feared that the weakIing organi-
zation was destined TO perish Of inana-
| ton.
The intervention Of Wilhelm II in favor
| of German aviation sinSularly enough
has proved TO be the salvation OF the
mOribund French association. II sudden
| ly became endowed with new life and
| energy. Yesterday the A. G. A. was
dead. 1t had few members and possessed
| little II any influence. To-day all that
| has changed. The A. G. A. has become
| power and force for patriotic self
denial in the land Of France, with a men,
bership of more than 10000. and it has
| a committee in every city and town OF
any Importance. from Dunquerque TO
NIese. from Perpignan to Nancy-sur-
Marne.
Its motto is the often used, more often
abused. "Semper Paratus," and in the fu-
ture it will be no fault of the association
IL France is not always ready to hurl
back any foe that may attempt an inva-
ton. The German eagle. says the French
! association. is having its talons over
hauled in readiness for desperate work on
| the day of the aerial Ermageddon of the
future. Is the Gallo cock 20 be behind
hand? II must have his spurs sharpened
and even provided with one or two extra
sets for use in case OF a national emer-
gency.
The body which. in matters aerial. has
now sprung into as prominent public
position as that occupied by the navy
league in England or the aerial league in
Germany. lays IL down as an axiom that
France must maintain the supremacy Of
the air. 1t is considered to be as vital
TO her existence as a nation as is the su-
premacy OF the sea TO England. Unques-
tionably France. up TO within a few
months ago, was the first aerial power of
the world. Her aerial feet was the Iarg-
est and best equipped. and her sviators
the most daring and skillful in Europe
Germany is rapidly building aeroplanes,
and those she cannot build herself she
seeks TO purchase from French manu-
facturers. In addition. the German fleet
- 1Nrtr aEN l.
Because OF all this, France haA taken the
alarm. Her eastern frontier stands tempt
ly open to boldly conceived aerial raid.
Only very recently the aviation section
OF the French general stan affirmed that
there were no insurmountabIe difficulties
in the path of a German aerial feet
which might sail across the boundary to
lombard Paris. Coming from Metz and
Strassburg. for example the hostile aero
planes. their speed gauged by the averag ge
French standard, would arrive above
Paris within only three hours. From a
perfectly safe altitude they would pro-
ceed to launch high-exploslve bombs.
Their mission fulfilled. they would seek
TO regain German soil II hard pressed.
they might take refuge in the neutral
territory of Belgium. It has been esti-
mated that seven hours would be ample
for the carrying out OF the whole project
the departure of the feet, the lombard
ment Of the city. and the escape Of the
raiders back over the frontier.
This shows that France, with or with
out reason. begins to believe that her
command Of the air is threatened by her
powerful neighbor across the Rhine. She
feels that It Is time for her to bestir
herself The French Diet is TO be asked
to vote this year 2oo0o,oOO francs for avia-
ton purposes, but the AeronautIc Asso-
citation aims at much more than this. II
is asking the people to endow France
with an aerial fleet which shall stand
pre-eminently first. and there is little
question that II will succeed. What
association is nonpartisan and not in poll
tics. Its platform has been made broad
enough to embrace all shades OF French
opinion.
The association and its programme IN
tho large amphithester Of the sorbonne
achieved triumphant success. What
struck chiefly about the gathering was
its representative character and its pre-
fervid enthusiasm. Soldiers and law
givers, the burgeoisie and the proletariaI
were in the assembly hall Tiger Glenn |
enceau, the man who. seemingly at will. |
destroys and recreates French ministries, |
was on the platform in the midst OF hali |
score OF political foes, but the big trI- |
color flag which occupied so conspicuous |
a place at the back Of the speakers ros- |
trum was capacious enough to envelop all |
under its sheltering folds.
All had met on noncontentious grounds |
to advocate the claims of la Patrie,'
and there is something IN the way a
passionately- speaking Frenchman pro-
nounces this word which sends thrill
of emotion through the hearts OF his |
French listeners. A vibrating chord GER
tainiv mas st-ticic hv The essentiaIIv ra