Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-08-17

Germany secured their aeronautic
equipment chiefly by popular sub
scription it is believed Americans will
not fall behind when the opportunity
is given them. Already the first ST.
900 has been given by "a woman in
terested in the movement" who pre-
fers to remain unknown, and other
subscriptions are coming in gen.
erously to -the headquarters at the
Aero Club in New York.
France raised the sum of 5,114, ,S46
francs, or S1,223.00O in a single year
by means of a subscription. Men,
women and children, rich and poor,
contributed to the fund which in 1913
provided EOS aeroplanes, 62 landing
stations and 75 trained aviators for
their nation.
Germany's Popular Subscriptions
While the Zeppelins had given Ger
many a sort of aerial supremacy be-
fore, it took popular subscription in
that nation also to provide the great
assemblage of aeroplanes and trained
operators which are now doing such
effectual service. The Aerial League
of Germany raised 7.234,506 marks, or
nearly 1880 900, to develop a wider
use of aeroplanes and provide them
for national defense. They secured
the training of 800 competent men by
paying aeronautic constructors $4,000
for the instruction of each. To popu-
lariZe aeronautics and secure civilian
operators a great competition was
held in 1913 in which a number of
worlds records were made.
The war has served to demonstrate
some of the uses of the aeroplane,
but it has others which are expected
to multiply as the number of machines
and aviators increase. A Pan-Amer-
lean Aeronautic Congress Is now un-
der consideration to discuss means by
which aviation may solve some of the
transportation difficulties between
South and Central American nations.
Aeroplanes have already demonstrated
their practicability for commercial
purposes by flights of from 500 to
1000 miles a day at high attitudes,
thus providing a communication be-
tween countries separated by almost
unsurmountable mountains.
Brazil, Argentine and Chill are
planning to spend S2,000,000 in aero
nautics within the next year. Mexico
has already secured twenty aeroplanes
and has an agent in this country now
in quest of others. Th total expendi-
ture of Europe for aviation during the
past three years exceeded SlOO, 0OO,-
900. The orders now placed indicate
that twice that sum will be spent for
the same purpose within the next
two years.
America Should Lead
America, it is held, should lead in
aeronautics because of the impetus
given by the inventions of Langley
and the Wright Brothers. The dir
rigible balloon of Count Zeppelin In
Germany filed an important place
but is not adaptable to many uses
Years before the advent of the aero
plane it was known that the apracti-
cal flying machine must be heavier
than air and able to elevate itself and
move through the air by its own
mechanism.
American ingenuity provided this
mechanism. 1t was quickly adopted
by European inventors and modihed
to suit individual needs. The ave-
rage American citizen has just begun
to realize that this nation has stood
in a race in which 1t was privileged to
lead. chiefly because the interest in
aviation in this country has been con-
fined to the small group OF persons
rich enough to own their machines.
The establishment of training classes
and the supplying of aeroplanes for
tho instruction of members of the
volunteer militia will not only lead
to preparedness for war, but will ad-
vance the use of aeroplane CONNER
cially by making its operation fami-
liar to a large number of men from
various callings.
In6 aQNauId6GS VI dliCIe1Il III
ploration are we'll recognized. The
secrets of the interior of Africa or
South America are more accessible
to the aeronautic explorer than to
those who depend upon other means
of transportation over difficult bar
riers. The natural conditions of a
new territory can be grasped more
readily from an elevation sufficient to
permit a general view than from an
expedition conducted on the ground
and many dangers may be avoided.
An aeroplane expedition in quest
of the Arctic explorer Stefensson and
his companions, who have been miss
ing over a year. is now being plan
ned. A schooner with auxiliary pow
er and deck capacity for three aero
planes will be required. The base
will be wrangel Island from which
point aeroplanes will take daily flights
within a radius of 200 miles. The
estimated cost of this expedition is
100000.