The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-07-06
Wars of Future to Start
In the Air, Expert States
CLAUDE GRAHAME-WHITT. ENGLISH AVIATOR. DECLARES Eek.
PERIMENTs HAVE GIVEN AWAY TO PRACTICAL IN
AEROPLANES-STEEL REPLACING CAN.
VAS AND WOOD.

while his opponent will be able to OBJ
tain little reliable information. Such
an advantage will be OF overwhelming
importance.
Armed %aeroplanes are. I believe,
likely to be the solution Of this prob
lem. II is suggested, in this connec-
tlon, by foreign military experts, that
each scouting aircraf, should be ac-
ccmpanied by a couple of machines
equipped with guns. which would seek
10 keep the enemy at bay while the
accommodating officer was doing his
work.
Now I will turn from war. and con-
slder-in the light Of my own expert
cnce and knowledge-sone Of those
other problems which crowd thick and
fast upon us through the progress Of
human flight. Smuggling by aero
plane. for example. This is a posi-
billy which l know is oeing debated
quite seriously by the customs au-
thorlties. Even with a present type
machine a very valuable load Of con
traband saccharine-upon which the
duty is remarkably high-could be
Struggled through tia air from the
continent into England.
suggests Rules OF the Road.
Motor cars might aid n aerial
be hidden skillfully. saY. in a dummy
petrol tank. What is aimed at to
meet such a situation. I am told, is a
general registration of aircraft, and
me establishment of compulsory halt
ing places for aerial ,ray.!ers at speci-
ned points on the frontiers.
me IDEA, in a WORD. = this: When
iemharktns upon an International voy-
age, the pilot Of an ~aesoplane would
NEED 70 obtain a passport, indicating
t1@ extent OF his journey. TO be pro-
cuced trroute and a MS landing
place, and he would also be called
upon 70 alishc. for an examination Of
ms machine, whenever directed by the
customs authorities.
A year or 50 ago. II ore had dared
70 discuss even the possibility of such
populations as these. r;3icu!e would
nave been the inevitan!= result: but
nov. when flights at ,nor= than SO
Mills an hour can BE- maintained for
hours on end. it is clear that the re-
Harkah!a increase in VIE number of
a!rHen ana machines Is likely TO bring
such problems very n.uch 20 the fore.
IN TINS connection, think 4 word is
necessary concerning re prevention
of spying by ~aeroplare
How is a country q prevent an
aerial SPY from hoverln: over some
sortifsd position and making notes of
am often asked.
In reply may state that the clever
men who are now STUDYING aerial law
hold that certain areas should be
marked on special International air
maps as being out q bounds" and
mat an% pilot trespassing over the
boundary line should te liable to a
heavy penalty.
Delivery OF the Mails.
As regards the legal aspect Of the
coming of the aerial aga" a Devil
dertng series Of problen!s are likely to
need solution. What If the airman
who ~descends, say. through engine
trouble, upo some one e!se's lando
AS matters stand, aerial journeys are
not sufficiently common 70 bring such
a matter to a head, although a few
claims ana squabbles have already
arisen.
Discussing this matter with legal
experts, l nave been told that when
aeroplane flights become as nuner
Gus as motor-car journeys a rule will
need TO be made laying down certain
specific "~airwa*s.' This, as under
stand it. will NEAR that when on a
voyage. say. from London I Paris or
from London to Manchester, the air
man will follow a fixed route, or road
Of the air"
Now let me picture the commercial
future of fight. More powerful en-
gines, better n bigger machines.
higher speed-these will be factors in
bringing aircraft into practical vogue.
Personally, | foresee hat one Of the
frst uses Of a high-speed, weight-car-
rEing machine will be in bearing mails
rom point to point, INC in laying the
foundation Of an express service for
valuable and urgently dispatched
goods. Then, from such beginnings.
and with the perfection Of apparatus.
the aerial passenger traffic is likely to
grow.
Looming large over his forecast of
aerial triumphs is the problem Of in
International relationship. Imagine
the time when the passage of the At
lantic, by air, is not a matter of DAYS,
but Of hours. Picture a day when we
can cross from London to Paris on the
swift airWay in three hours, or less
when, in fact, all the great capitals Of
Europe are linked together by 100
mile-an-hour aerial expresses! What
effect will this have upon national
animosities and political intrigues?
Personally, / believe-and believe
strongly-that the great passenger
carrying aeroplane Of the future will
prove an immensely powerful instru-
ment Of peace With the lightning
speed Of the Always, all nations will
be drawn irresistibly together; and
that closer contact should, inevitably.
produce better understanding. AL
ready we have seer the good fruits of
international travel in connection with
our present traffic facilities.