The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-16
(By Hudson Maxim,

.(By Hudson Maxim.)
The aeropiane is destined to be one
Of the most potent wal engines Of the
future. It IL destined TO have a revolt
uttonary influence upon naval and
military tactics.
Heretofore. warfare has been con-
Quoted on the two-dimensional plane
OF the earth's surface. The flying ma
chine takes war into the third di.
mension.
This complexities the problem enor.
mously, for no longer will campaigns
be directed altogether in the nature
OF a series of siege operations for the
c~onquering of fortified positions. be-
cause the flying machine can overgo
all positions. No longer will it be
sentinel all OF the passes leading into
a country. for the great skyway Is un-
incumbered m open to all. 1t will
constitute q three-dimensional hemis-
phere of operations. and the compile
cations Of battle which have hereto
fore obtained will be multiplied by the
other dimensions as a factor.
The fortified position on the earth
will merely be an outlying point on
the side of a cube and subject to the
domination of any point inside the
cube.
Hitherto, opposing forces nave adj
vanced and retreated along the lines
Of length and brcadth-forward or
backward and sidewise. but always on
the surface of a plane. Commanders
had to reckon with only those two d.
mansions. But with the intersection
of perpendicular lines. and with the
pendtculars completely dominating the
two dimensions of the plane below,
even the battlefield disappears
There remains no battlefield. It is
no field at ALL. The field Of battle is
converted into a point in space, the
point in the air occupied by the DOM
mating aeroplane. All other places.
positions. fields and be-
come negligible. until that infinitely
small, infinitely deadly point can be
made harmless. From the hour when
the first aeroplane few the first circle
with its w power it had become the
absolute center of every battle with an
infinitely variable quality. whose APP
%plication only instant emergencies can
supply.
The captive balloon, tried years ago.
embodied the principle of a battle
center. as distinguished from the plane
Of other operations. But it was a
fixed center. n so subject to every
vicissitude of attack and to every limi-
tation Of distance. In effect. 1t was
only a little better thai an observa-
ton tower, because it a capable Of
being moved a little faster and Of at
fording a somewhat higher point Of
view. For the rest, it was useless as
a weapon.
But the deadly point of space en-
bodied in the aeroplane bids fair to be
the most instantly elusive point posi-
hIn fnr tina 01aS,AA~@Sy ~ n Il~{~~ 4.A>
ture. Thus we have the very heart
and core of every conflict transformed
into a veritable wiil-o'.the-wisp, as
dangerous as the scorpion and as agile
as h dragon fly.
What other angency, what other
arm Of war can be conceived Of as
fitted to arrest this deadly. erratic CEN
ter OF battle, to bring it to a halt, to
force It to take blow for blow, to
heights and falls? 1t can mock at
any other point in space-such as the
captive balloon, the battleship and the
crawling armies of the land-which
from its nature must remain, relatives
~, a fixed point. 1t could be over
come to a surety only by myriad fixed
points. occupying positions OF vantage
all over the plane below, and at the
sides and top Of the theoretical cube,
within which its power permits It to
operate. Lord Kitchener might as
we'll try to surround a mosquito of
the coast Of Coney Island. A timio
bat. or the bird called the f1ycatcher,
would do immeasurably better than
all the armies and navies of the world
combined.
The only possible way to safeguard
against aerial invasion is by counter
aerial fleets. The only possible way
will be to meet and fight aeroplane
with aeroplane.
Even then it will be impossible to
prevent aerial armadas from entering
a country under Of storm or
night wholly unobserved. and the first
a city or the devastation OF a large
tract of country.
We must remember that the aero
plane will be able to take a birds eye
view of the country 1t enters, and will
be able to reconnoiter the enemY's
fortified positions and witness the
number and disposition of his troops.
BY consequence. they will be able to
avoid the hazard of battle. and win
raidinE and foraging the country.
levyinE upon money institutions. de-
stroying forts and powder magazines,
ripping up railroads and blowing up
bridges.
do not mean that they would do
this by dropping bombs from the sky.
I have already pointed out in many
lectures and articles the imparticabil-
ity Of doing much damage by dropping
bombs. But the raiding aeroplane
will be made strong and stanch, with
a capacity Of half a dozen mon each.
or. say. five men. with the necessary
arms and equipment, including ex-
plosives for the raiders outfit.
A hundred thousand men could
therefore be carried by 10000 aero
planes, and that number Of men
would be able to work wide destruc-
ton upon unprotected inland cities.
In fact. they would place this country
at the mercy Of the enemy II we were
not ourselves prepared to meet them
with q superior fleet Of airships. y
We must bear in mind the fact that
the aeroplane will be an exceedingly
mobile engine Of war. It will have
great speed, and 1t will be impossible
to attack is effectually. or to pursue