The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-11-21
DANIELS IN FAVOR OF DEVELOPING
 U. s. AIR CRAFT

St. Louis, Nov. 21.-t'In my opin- i ion, the newly developed art of avia- ton will not only tend to limit the duration and scope of hostile opera tfons, but also aid in the control of the seas. one of the elements con- trfbuttng materially to the power and
 prosperity of a nation.''
 | Secretary of the Navy Daniels made this statement here last night Fin the course of a public address upon aeronautics in which he discussed the conquest of the air by the United States army and navy and the part 1 aerial navigation will take in future wars.
 ''The potentfalit1es of the aeropIane, when applied to the art of war, are extremely great and it's proper use
 will undoubtedly be a dominating fao- tor in the success of future cam paigns. he said. 'tThe principal roles
 of the aeropIane in naval warfare will
 be for scouting and reconnaissance
 work and for offensive and destructive
 operations against hostile fleets and
 Notifications
 Rash indeed will be the comman-
 der of an opposing fleet who would
 head his vessels against the fleet or
 coast of an enemy possessing a mum
 Der of these vicious wasps of war, and
 unfortunate indeed would be a com
 nander who did not have ready at
 his call this means of obtaining su-
 premacy in the air.
 ''tA torpedo costs $8,0O0 and ire
 quently is lost in practice, through
 dedection in direction that makes 1t
 impossible to follow it from the
 crows nest of a ship. But an aer-
 ial scout can follow torpedo's
 course unerringly by watching 1t from above. The price of. one torpedo will pay for several flying machines
 T5N-~ ,S.11-,
 up or located by aerial scouts. One
 little mine may wreck a $1o,00O,00o battleship. A flying machine costing but a small sum, would mean the ships safety. The dirigible balloon likewise will play as important part in naval warfare as the aeroplane. and possibly will have a. greater ef- feet on naval strategy and tactics.
 ''The United States Army has sew enteen machines, with a total person nel of twenty-four officers Seven more machines are in sight. There is and no plan of cooperation between the army and navy. The latter pos 4sesses only four hydroplanes and three flying boats, though it is pro- posed to buy three more.
 "The war aeroplane and war air en engines of war by the leading na- tions of the earth. In practice, our recognition is little more than theo- rettcal Scouting and information in land operations is being given over to l the aeroplane and the lighter dirigible, | and scouting information and mining | in sea operations is being given over to the hydroplane and larger diri- | gibles; while the large and armed l rigid dirigible, capable of carrying | several tons of explosive and making | long sustained flights is designed both for nd for 11Ixi inc off GiX attacks on ships, arsenals, docks, etc. |
 .tAn army or fleet of the present | day operating in war without an eff | fcient air service against one with | such a service, it has been aptly said, | would be like a blind man fighting | another of equal power with all his | faculties.
 ;sIt is true that the United States occupies a position differing. material | ly from European nations bordering on each other or separated by nar- row waters easily patrolled by air | craft. And therefore we have not | been forced by the pressure of an inn m ediate danger to meet the progress of possible enemies. This iss- no doubt the reason we have Jagged be hind other nations in developing and | utilizing our own gift to the world. | Our scrupulous efforts to avoid all en- tangling alliances, makes it less prob able that we will be involved in the | wars of the future, if there be any; nevertheless, we may not forget that with the Panama Canal as well our coast Notifications to be protected not only. from attack by land and water, but also from the air, steps must be taken to train a sufficient and off ctent naval air service able to cope with the best air fleets of the world.
 eff a time of crisis or sudden na- tionaI peril were to come upon us 1O af aviation a serve would be beyond estimate. am one of those who believe in this future, and with suitable assistance from Congress will strive to bring aeronautics in my service abreast of the important position it holds in the various navies of the world.
 'HThe United States produced the first aerop1ane and the first hydro aeroplane,- and European nations eag- erly grasped at the chance to utilize them in their armies and naVies.
 France has led in the develop ment and use of heavier than air ma chimes and has a larger aerial war fleet than any other nation. She is said to have now 500 aeropIanes, 300 aviators, 12 dirigible balloons and 400 Balloon pilots One author says she will spend next year $7,500,0oO on military flying. Another authority states that the military grant in 1912 was about $4,60O. 900; while a nation al subscription of about $9OO,0OO was raised in addition, which has already supplied 72 aerop1anes with 98 more to come ere this year is ended
 France has, for the most part, re- lied upon her aerop1ane service for scouting, mining and the command of the air by the destruction of possible enemy's air craft though she has 19ss dir1gibles with more build ing.
 nf "a 1n aiEship: in the German Imperial e1 of battle airship in the German navy has a. speed of 45.7 knots per hour; carries a useful Ioad-of 14,00O pounds and, with crew. and ballast ean3esearry fuel enough for 30 hours ]