New-York tribune., 1915-11-10
Britain Seeks Air Mastery;
Builds Great Plane Fleet
Feels War Will Be Won by Avators-Erects Aero Bases
Throughout Country-Women Aid Men in
Turning Out Huge Machines.

airnan is 70 bring down one OF the
deadly German craft, and there y little
doubt that this hope will be realized II
Count Zeppelin's men persist IN their
visits.
At Farnborough, where the govern
ment factory is located, we were wei
coined by dozens of speedy, as well as
wei ght-carrying, machines circilne
above US. This establishment develops
whatever type OF warplane Is required
and then lets out contracts Tor oulld-
ing among other competent manuiaet-
urers. In other words. il Is gigantic
experimental station Throughout the
long buildings over three thousand per-
sons work night and day to keep ths
plucky airmen a. the front supplied
with aircraft. There were more nun.
dreds Of women and girls, spick and
span in natty uniforms, cutting, tack
ing. pasting, and happy in the reali!a-
tion that they are doing their part Tor
their country.
A Lesson for America
| think saw more downright earn
estness in these aeroplane factories
than in all the rest Of England put to-
gether. More and more the British are
Coming 10 the conclusion that this war
will he won in the air. And the beilei
ia strong on me that they are right, ana
that America better take leaf from
Rritain's book quickly, II elaborate
nlans for defence now being formulated
are TO count for anything.
We came 70 a shed where stood
caunt looking craft with MASSIVE
struts. heavy wiring and glittering ar
NOR. Our eyes travelled over the war
Ike contours. Before us stood an I'M
nudent little craft, with tiny. wings
set at an almost grotesque angie rio-
iecting in front was the muzzle OF a
machine gun, so installed that IL OF
fered a mark no larger than hoIe'
destined 10 spit death at an adversary
One OF the little wasplike craft boast
ed a record of climbing $500 feet IN
eight minutes, fully loaded and carry
ing a machine gun. .,,
In an outlying shed we saw an AIDA,
tross. captured Somewhere IN france.
A solid built. ugly piece OF buslhess
Il was. with sort of rovolving 'uo
behind the pilots seat for the gunner
70 stand in. The colonel toid us 'ne
storv Of the capture. II was forced 10
land nv a British captain and observer.
when thew ran TO take their prison
ers thev discovered the pilot and the
observer of the German machine en-,
Gagged IN a violent fist fight. II seemed
that the observer was Prussian and the
pilot Saxon. Both blamed the other
for the plight. However. they were
rounded up.
Mistaken for a German.
Then tho British captain started 20
fv the Albatross back to his camp. He
rasted A PAPER over the black cross
which marks the German craft and
went blithely on his way. As he drew
rear his base the paper blew off. An
ambitious Young British subaltern In
camp saw the big machine bearing
down and sprang into the air to give
battle. He won. too, because the capt
ured machine had no more ammuni-
ton. Therefore, the captain came 70
earth. His heart, humping with pride,
the Young subsltern rushed up with
drawn revolver TO take prisoner-hls
own superior officer.
Late tonight we arrived in London,
tired. dirty. but immensely impressed
by the ability Of the British to. rise to
Emergencies. Taking into consideration
the fact that we saw only tiny frac-
tion of the aerial service, ! do not be-
lieve IL possible for any other nation TO
overtake the lead which the British so
quietly stole on the world last year.
And all has been done with so little
sounding of trumpets that it scarcely
seems possible. But we shall hear from
il later, and, in my mind, rankled the
thought of the niggardly expenditures
planned in my own country, even II the
proposed appropriations go through.
Britain has paid the price for tagging
as will any nation, belittling the impor-
tance of an efficient and powerful air
fleet for land and sea.