New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-02-13

second place IN the plans Of national de.
fence. but those who are willing 20 admit ~
can see the evolution In the European war.
The question is this: Are we, as a nation
TO be initiative and take advantage OF our
OPPORTUNITIES, or ore we TO become trailers
and hazard our independence because Of pro-
fcssional antipathy. cheap politics and theo-
rctical peace dreamcrsy
Develop Air Service.
In Tho Tribune some months ago I. e..
GREY. editor Of "The Acceptance IS quoted
as advocating that "the flying service must
be two subordinate branches Of the two great
fighting services" meaning the army ano
navy. This opinion does not indicate that Mr.
Grey has very clear foresight into the part
air craft are soon 20 take IN warfare ana ~
is just this lack of timely conception when
has cost England many millions OF dollars
and thousands Of lives.
England. prior TO the war, expressed prac-
ticelly no more confidence In air craft than
this government does az the present time
I. "a most fortunate for the Allies that Ger
many and Count Zeppelin expended tneiI
money and energies In the development Of
the direible instead Of high powered air
craft because if they had made the same
Do the dirigible Germany would have pos
sessed extraordinary advantages.
The United States is now considering in
differently the appropriation Of few million
dollars when wo should be investing many
millions IN the perfection Of air craft, aerial
guns. torredocs and bombs. II may be adj
mittcd for the moment that the air craft
service is largely auxiliary 90 the army and
navy. but DO tle present war there have been
a number Of exceptions in which fleets Of air
craft have made successful raids ndepcud-
Ont If The army That these raids arc not
moro numerous and have not made the most
serious inroads upon the enemy Is simply
due 90 The fact that air craft have not been
sufficiently high powered 90 carry the proper
lighting machinery or not ma sufficient NUM-
beers, also because laxIty has been shown in
developing suitable guns and bomb-throwing
apparatus for acroplancs
H. must not be understood that advocate
an aeromarne organized on lines distinctly
independent OF the army and navy. On toe
contrary, there must be cooperation Of the
three. just as the army and navy have here
tofore co0peratcd. ] object 20 that plan for "a
"subordnatc" service which Mr. Grey and
army and navy experts lean 20. II the army
and navy dictate and control air craft service
10 sid be- tunted u growth and subordinate
I'm action and effectiveness.
The aeromarine must be a department
headed by men trained en- army and navy
problems. but welded IN faith 20 their De
partmcnt. and the commander in chief must
be just as much an aeromarine as he Is an
army or navy man. Ia war equipment
and commercial products air craft offer UNI
paiauelei opportunities, and II the United
States would contnue 20 be the foremost
country IN the world we must develop the
aircraft industry.
Aircraft are just as important TO the per
fec.ed plans Of ciylzatio as railroads,
ships. automobiles, the telegraph and tele-
phone. The world does not realize this fac,
row; neither did II appreciate the worth Of
the telephone when 10 vas first invented.
The short Sight Of the Expert.
A an example Of the sturdity % the
world and may add, of experts. Mr..
Cbaunccy W. Dopew says: I'm 1877 had an
option ON sixth Of tho Bell Telephone for
some days for $4,000 ] consulted the most
famous Geographic expert IN tho country an :
be- advised ne 90 drop it. 10 is toy and
commercially a fake ne said Had fol-
lowed my strong fsnh IN the enterprise
would to-day T alive be a hundred million