The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-07-22
AERIAL PREPAREDNESS.

Congress is increasing Qe1enCe apprOprla-
tons as rapidly as can be expected of
political body convinced against their will,
but every day proof is being found that this
is not rapid enough to suit the people.
Harvard and Yale students, for instance,
are now organizing themselves into aerial
reserves.
In order to pay the tuition expenses in
the aviation schools, of Harvard under
graduates who volunteered for service,
nearly $1,000 has already been raised by
the graduates of this college, but $4,000
more is needed to carry out the plan.
Nine Harvard undergraduates have al
ready volunteered and will go into training
Immediately.
Another plan is to form an aerial coast
patrol The first unit is composed of Yale
men, and it is established in New York. A
flying boat has been donated by private en-
terprise, and the expenses will be betrayed
by subscription or donation. The, plan is
to form unit composed of twelve men, all
trained in aviation, four of whom will act
as pilots, four as observers, and four as anti
aircraft gun men. There will also be added
wireless telegr Apply experts. The equipment
of a unit, when completed, to consist of four
seaplanes and the automobiles and boats
required for the anti-craft work.
The aerial coast patrol idea has been
incorporated in bill Is. 6557) and pre-
sented to congress, by which it has beer
referred to the committee on naval affairs
of the senate. An appropriation of 81, O0O,-
900 is asked
Our people are at last realizing the need
of preparedness. A standing army, two OF
three times the size of our present force
which, by the way, is hardly sufficient fol
police purposes; a national guard efficient
and ready; fleet equal to the world
greatest to intercept invasion and prevent
destruction in our land of p1enty-these
are what the people demand; but they are
also insisting on better aerial preparedness
The areoplane is the army and navy's eye
Without it the proudest hosts are as power
less as giant fighting blindfold against
dwarf who can see.
The sinking of the Lusitania, less thar
ten miles from the Irish coast, could neve
have taken place had the coast been pro
tected by a system of aerial coast defens
stations, such as outlined above. At the tim
of the Lusitania tragedy, Great Britain ha
only fifteen aviation stations; today it ha
| n1nety-four stations and hundreds of ant
aircraft guns To establish a chain c
stations along Our coast would cost on1
81 100000, but the shipping and the coas
property they would protest would run int
the billions.
AN aviator" as Earl Kitchener said, "i
worth an army corps" Bringing the matte
nearer home, we know now that with fit
aeroplanes, many lives would have bee
saved during the recent Mexican troub1
and much American property would hav
been saved, because the movements of til
bandits would have been spied out and the
designs frustrated.
This time two years there were di
quoting rumors in the papers, but ever,
body was saying, World war? 1t can't |
done We are for peace. There are ST
some people who think an attack on Il
United States is an impossibility, but fe
there are to heed them. Preparedness v
must have, and no system of preparedne
can be adequate without developing aer
nautics to the highest degree of efficienc