The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-04-30
Better Than Cavalry in the
Villa Chase, Says an Eng
lish Expert. :
-. By c. G. GREY, -
Editor Of the Acceptance. London.

II
LONDON, April 29.-NaturallY we
people in Europe, having a war OF
some considerable Importance OF our
own to hold our attention, are not
over we'll supplied by our newspapers
with information about the doings OF
the United States army, but we have
general idea that the STRENGTHENING
out OF Mexican affairs lis not going to
be quite military promenade fol-
lowed by little financial argument
round table. Those of US who make
our living out Of aircraft in. one way
or another are particularly anxious ia
see how American aeroplanes are 60
Ing to work out In practice under the
peculiar conditions of such a war as
that now in hand in Mexico. Jrs
II ever there was a chance for air
craft to score II is In this Mexican af-
fair, and ! should Judge that the United
States army administration must be
kicking itself pretty hard for not be-
ing more prepared to take such a
chance. That is, OF course, unless
the people at the top. like good many
OF our own senior officers only few
months before our war began, still do
not realize the possibilities OF aircraft.
Today even the most hide bound
dtgout in any European army has a
pretty fair respect for aeroplanes as
scouts. bomb troopers and artillery
observation vehicles, and even thinks
rather highly Of airships for certain
limited work, such as night lombard
ment, sea scouting and submarine
catching. There Is, in fact, rather a
tendency to overrate the possibilities
OF aeroplanes. and to expect them to
fly in impossible weather. when clouds
are so low that the machines have to
come down within rife range II the
observer is to get any information, or
to expect them to 90 UP in the dark
and hunt for marauding airships
which the crew. could see only II they
had a first class searchlight in their
machines to help them. ~
Germany Led the World. =
OF all the European countries Ger
many was by far the best prepared
with aircraft at the beginning OF the
war; and its machines were superior
to all others in numbers and In re-
liability, though the British possessed
q few small scouts which were faster
than the average German Taube, or
even the big German biplanes which
appeared with the German army soon
after war began.
.GerInany's lead in these respects
Was due to the, fact that for years
before the war the German govern
ment had encouraged national enter
prise In aircraft building in every pos
sfble way. Big prizes were offered
officially for the best aeroplane en-
gines, and the winners Of these prizes
were backed up with orders for simi-
lar engines In numbers which would
have surprised the people Of other
countries-if they had had the gump-
ton to know that such a thing as an
aeroplane, existed. Similarly, prizes
well worth the having were offered
by the German government for flying
competitions, especially place to place
races. This, naturally improved the
breed. OF German asroplanes. by en-
couraEinE the makers to produce the
best possible machines.
Moreover, officers, , Of the German
0khy fahu -haNS WUI0 6uCUuTbkous W
compete. In these races, which raised
the standard of flying In the services.
whereas In England. at any rate, It
wss regarded as bad form" for an
oficer even to land at a public aero
drone during such hours rs a gate"
might be. erpscted. Consequently; al
though the British. French and Rus
sian flying services had a certain num-
Der Of pilots superior to the best Of
the Germans In sheer skill, the Allies
have been catching up" the Germans
in numbers and also In the reliability
Of their engines ever, since: and SO
far.'as Nr. Tenant the British under
secretary ofswar, had to admit recent.
". they have not quite caught them
yet. " - ~. tfil.e z. ,fr-f ( - l. n, lf.st
Should Have Been Warning to Us.
/ These facts, which have been par