The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-10-30
THE HAsKIN LETT p
FIGHTING AIR GRAF
u Fredericl< 2. Hlasl q


49,.
\ ---...'-
n II there Is one thing on ear,
which would seem better iun IT,
to do than to fight maiic1 N2u.
meant artillery duel some nv .ny M
and feet above terra nr.., Ine =. ~ -
| the censors. Yet the deHrtons e4-
pertence of combat among unstaDt =
clouds and drifting air has come - ),
stay until human kind give over si,. W.
or forget the art OF flying. foI H!tltaly
aircraft have proved their 1no1speu5
stability In the European strHEsle'
Fighting air craft are no hUner-
an untried factor Iney ne. =. 3 -
strated themselves TO De OF su SUE -, :.
tmendous value In tne pIsse n.t,,ts =, 70
that there are not WantAHe al,l..s.:
experts, of recognized right 70 opin-
lion, and. so, OF course. less sup! E.c.
to reckless enthusiasm VINO pHg se!ss
that the Triple Entente OF the D ~.
Alliance will win, according as me
one or the other succeeds IN sweepIng
the enemy,s fighting craft from tne
air. .-..a--
According to sucn mease =, LAY as,,-
nation as manages 70 eluu le,. en y, t,,e
sors' conscienti BUSINESS, eacn OF tLe
bellieerents is fully awake TO the ".
tai Importance OF the aerldl 81 : - "a
its service. The aeroplane ana oi,
rigible factories OF Germany sas,
France are said to be working aay
and night in their effort to WIN mas
terry in the third element Eney nas os
been preparing Tor tnls conque =.
the air for the last ten years.
Aircraft have been useo n
for more than q hundred years.
French balloon made an ascent IoE
reconnaissance during the Dattie "
Fleurus in 1749. Since then, captve
and free balloons have been useu
MANY times in war, for the SPYING
mt of the enemy's movements, 1o1
the direction of artillery nre, anu
for the passage of the enemy's lines;
Balloons were used during the Wv.
war. our war with Spain. ano uuI 1,H
the Russo-Japanese war In l9U4: To
day. however, they are out of fasn-
ion. The unmotoreo oam nd M
mercy of the air currents ana un
manageable, was never a war fnstru-
ment of much serious nnporLanesS
, In recent German tests. as pflteu
against aeroplanes. balloons Were
conclusiveIy proved celt-os-oaIe.
The military value OF the aelo,
plane had never been tuliy lss suos
until the great war macn1nes
-
dirigible had never been tested q, =,
ali! and. in all likelihood. rs SUI
WAITING for its supreme test. Aero
planes were used in the Itanan-l UT
co war, In the sinter-Balkan sta aSs
against Turkey, and, again, IN tae
inter-Balkan struggle. Fhey, also'
received some tryout from the Fren nsl,
| In Morocco, from the Me11cans -1 Ana
from the the Americans at vera
( flifarv value. now
| ever. was still q matter for posslole
! dispute. Now, In the light OF tne
last few months OF war, the power
Il that should risk combat with q CIV
H Ilized neighbor and not prepare =
strong air feet would be snoWins
the same cheerful trust IN luck W IlIsn
II the Chinese displayed Wnen LIZ III.
sent their soldiers armed W. 49,
strong odors and bows ana arIoM TOW,
aeainst the japanese with modern
guns. ns
been laboring and experimenting 70,
h a. decade for the present wonderlu,
tests of air strength. Wi1S1 thss
have achieved in the way OF oevei-
oping their warcraft or now tn my
compare with one another IN .ae
H strength of aerial navies. are MAJ.
4 tiers Of estimate and not OF dennis
rounded the efforts of the various
war departments of Europe to bullo
|iup air fleets. Official statistics haye
been withheld from publication. OF
Unpublished in such a way as to be eh-
| tirely misleading, and inqu1sit1ye
search after facts has been summari-
Ily and forcefully discouraged.
Still a number of estimates of the
European air navies have been at
lfamnted Mr.. Henry Woodhouse, ed.