Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-08-05
THE naval battle in the North Sea
seams 10 have revived sonne ethinC

TINE naval battle in the North Sea
seems to have revived something
of the old controversy over the
relative merits of the Zeppelin and
the aeroplane. The Germans claim
that their Nghter-than-air machines
rendered them service of the first i'm
portance in scouting, while the English
deny that the Zeppelin'S actions had
anything to do with the engagement
or its results. If the German conten-
ton is correct the Zeppelin has scored
a point to balance some of the many
achievements OF the aeroplane in the
hands of each of the belligerents. The
whole question is OF interest to Ameri-
cans because the next decade will un-
questionably see a great expansion in
the art-or industry-of flying in this
country, and the character of that eX-
pansion will be based on the lessons
taughts by the war.
There is small chance, however, that
our progress in aviation will turn
aside from the path it has already
chosen. The American aviator is fol-
lowing in the footsteps of his French
and English brethren and turning his
attention to the aeroplane, the heavier
than-air machine. This may, of
fact that the aeroplane is an Aneri-
can invention, the product of American
brains and enterprise, while the dirigi-
BILE balloon got its development in
Germany, but our national preference
in the matter is probably due rather
to an appreciation OF the greater all
around usefulness and practicabillty OF
the aeroplane than to any sentiment.
The last few weeks have seen some
notable achievements in American
aviation, in the shape Of record-break-
ing fights along the Atlantic coast.
and now comes the announcement of
a transcontinental fight contest for a
trophy and big money prizes to start
from New York early in September.
Some Of our more enthusiastic sup
porters of aviation, including Ralph
Pulitzer, who offers the leading prize,
are beginning to get uneasy about our
standing in the game. They say that
the war pressure is pushing Europe
rapidly ahead until we, who invented
all place in the rank of nations who
make effective use cf it.
OF course the tendency in the United
States to-day is to "he low" Europe
is rapidly getting great deal of ex-
perience in flying, but she is paying
dearly for much of it. All sorts OF
innovations are being tested out across
the water, some to be eventually
adopted, others to be discarded. In
the meantime we can stick to policy
of passive observation and profit by
European failures. Our factories are
building some of the machines for the
belligerents, but on the whole avi-
ational development in this country Is
biding it's time until Europe shall have
produced the most successful types OF
machine, which we can then initiate
and spare ourselves the intermediate
steps Of experiment and failure.
But the aviation student tells us that
Europe is not only working out the
most practicable types of the aero
planes but also rapidly developing
men to fly them. No one has any
criticism to Iaake Of the American
aviators as a class except that there
are too few of them. The American
temperament seems to be particularly
we'll fitted to flight work. Some of the
most daring and skillful feats accom-
plished in France are 10 the credit of
the little corps of American fliers and
here in the United States our aviators
are daily proving themselves as ef-
ficient as any on the battlefields. But
while we have two or three hundred
skilled pilots, England, France and
Germany. even Russia, are turning
them out literally in thousands.
It Is to stimulate public interest in
this country in aviation and to show
what can be done with an aeroplane
properly handled that the transconti-
mental contest will be held. Once such
feat has been achieved by several
machines. it is hoped that distance
flying will become more and more of a
commonplace in the United States.
This will require the cooperation of
the man on the ground with the man
in the air. for the aeroplane cannot
make a practice Of flying across coun-
try in the absence OF adequate land