Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-18

OF engineers at the ministry was familiar
with aerial navigation. Gen. Roques es-
tablished at various points very efficient
aviation service. At Versailles he sta
toned Col Hirschauer In chanDs of aero
nautics there and at Rheims At Mendon
he stationed Lieut.. Col. Bouttieaux as
director of aeronautic material construc-
ton and repairs. Aside from aeroplanes
ana dirtgfbles. which form the greatest
part of the material Col. BouttieauN
was charged with the care of spheric
balloons. captive balloons and kites. At
S1ncennes Lieut.. Col. Estienne is at the
head OF a military aviation establishment
specially attached 10 the artillery service.
The serious question which has been
discussed is ''Should the aerial feet b.,
composed of dirigible or of acroplane"''
The ideal military aeronef, that is, the
machine which will be required to cxc-
cute long strategic "Reminiscences. hav-
ing for object to inform the staff Of the
positions occupied by rival armies should
possess a radius of action of at least :s1a
miles 1t should. besides, be capable
an altitude of 1000 yards i'm order TO
have a serious chance Of escaping pro-
jectiles; 1t should possess great speed.
Under the last condition aeroplanes
from the inception have had a superior
ity over dirigibles. Thus
UlrlglbleS VS.. preference may be given
Aarorler.. to the aeroplanc. But
latterly the speed OF
dirigibles has been increased from thirty
one miles to forty-seven miles per hour,
with possibility Of still further augmenta-
ton. AS to the radius of action tho
dirigibles are superior. The "Adjutaat
Reau" remained twenty-one hours and
twenty minutes in air in travelling moro
than 61S miles from 1ssy. Paris Epernay,
Vesoul, Langres, Troycs. Provins, Issy.
The dirigibles are capable Of effecting
long strategic "Reminiscences. They will
undoubtedly serve as the cruisers OF the
aerial fleet.
The dirigible has other advantages over
the aeroplane i'm that it is not so readily
anected by atmospheric eddies. which
constitute the chief dangers of the aero
plane. For this reason the aeroplane
aviator rarely executes evolutions at mid
day, but rather in the early morning or
the decline Of day. At night he fears the
risk of landing on ground he cannot see.
The dfrigible, on the contrary, can travel
at all hours of the day and night. and
great part of the voyage of the "Adjutant
Reau' was accomplished during the n ght
In this regard it is important to remark
as particular military quantity that. AL
though the garrison at Verdun was noti-
fled of the passage of the aeronef. the
garrison neither heard nor saw it. al
though on the alert. The dirigible. Z
should be added offers greater comfort
to the aviator. and at ease he or his
sociates may make sketches. photo
graphs send kilograms and keep in toucl
with the earth.
One of the arguments against the di;-igi-
BILE was it's cost of $50 600 with aces
series bringing it to 100000. Aeroplancs
cost $4,000.
The essential point in military aviation
is that it has reached a stage where al
though ii is far from
Experimental perfection yet the
c+.r. p....d experimental may
otage faSSe0. now be succeeded by
practical utilization. The possibilities OF
both drigible and aeroplane have been
SO developed that either or both may 30
employed.
The Italians are giving at this moment
a practical illustration of military avia-
ton. and the type Of dirigible employed by
them in Tripoli is said to be admirable.
1t appears likewise that the revolution
airy armies of the republic OF China have
used most effectively aeronefs. The ltal-
ians first sent up aeroplanes and, when
L.,
United States War Department, notwith-
standing the small appropriation passed
by the House for aeronautics. has recent
ly let contracts for the construction of
five military aeroplanes. 1t would be well
If the United States War Department. fol-
lowing the suggestion of Gen. Bonnal to
the French ministry, would offer a prize
of 100000 for the perfection of sta
bilizateur' which would render the ae-o-
plane absolutely subject to control an
hence safe In the hands of the most rec
less pilot.
1t has been maintained that aeroplanes
have brought about the SUPPRESSION o.
cavalry, but officers of the French
army, as we'll as NJ. Clementel in his re-
port to the French chamber. have dis
posed of that error.
The employment of aeroplanes and diri-
gibles in Reconnaissance has many points
in common with the use of cavalry in
Europe and the principle employed by
Napoleon to obtain the best results. The
results of an aerial reconnaissance de-
ponds as much. if not more, upon the
chief who has ordered II as upon TIE
aviator himself.
Commandant Renard, whose authority
is supreme in matters of aviation. con-
fesses that he has had u
Shifting changed his mind more Il a
once. Formerly he placed
VplAioh' his entire faith in dirigibles-
He is now of the opinion that aeroplanes
have become the veritable military aero
nefs. and the service they may render to
armies. as they are, are more consider
able than he had dreamed of. On the
other hand, he does not think the asso-
citation of the aeroplane with artillery IS
so infallible as others have maintained.
Gen. Bounal expresses the belief that
the fourth arm" as he is pleased TO
designate military aviation. even II 1t
does not realize all the ideal conditions
hoped for, will form a powerful organism,
susceptible of playing very important
part in war. What a vast dinerence,
he exclaims, IF in 1870 we could have
possessed few cruisers OF the air and
few aerial fleets! 1t is not rash to say
that that campaign would have been
completely modified
And the general declares that the next
war will be inaugurated by extraordinary
aerial conflicts. He Is of the opinion
that the type Of the ideal military ma
chine may be composed OF the many al
ready possessed.
Commandment Polacchi, chief Of the car
tographic service Of the French ministry
of war. delegate to the thirtieth con-
gress of geographical societies, which as
sembled at Roubaix recently, SUI
mitted to that congress technical details
of the proposed map of the world on the
scale of 100000. Such map would
cover a space of 19l square meters and
would cost $780, 900. The share of France
would amount to $4,000