The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-08-12

can brains.
On the western battle front we find
the armies of the allies and those or
the central powers deadlocked. The
Germans have had three years In
which TO entrench themselves In eartk
| siege guns. electricity and planted
dynamite. They are lighting with
, their backs to their own country and
, own soil. Barricaded and burrowed
| these hordes stand waiting with
| canned hell fire for the approach of
our American army. We are attack
| ing the mad dog in his own kennel
back into his own country. by land
fighting, must this enemy be driven
before victory is ours. Physical force
can doubtless accomplish the desired
result, but will require months and
months, and thousands OF American
youths. On the other hand the
noble French and British can
check the enemy and hold him just
where he now stands and thus give
America the opportunity to complete,
with American ingenuity. some strate-
gical plan that will bury the Hun in
his own mire.
It may not be Civilized" warfare
should we find 1t possible to attack
Germany as a whole and blow II from
the lace OF the eaTtu, Out tIliS Cdoc
it's merely a matter of who will do
the blowing. I believe the problem,
so far as America IS concerned. can
be solved by the aeroplane and here
with suggest plan.
An Immediate conference of the
scientists and aeronautical experts OF.
the country with the designation of
standard battle plane, the specified
and identical parts OF which could be
built in any factory in the country at
ter the machinery had been installed
for the building of that one part. and
the wholesale manufacture OF that
standard fighter. The typewriter. BIZ
cycle and automobile factories along
with the sewing machine and farm
machinery companies are admirably
adapted for the manufacture OF any
/ designated part or parts of the aero.
plane once they are prepared.
The aeropiane has not only proven
on the hattlefelds of Europe its sta
bility as vehicle of transportation
in which confidence can be reposed.
but is every day proving by the COM
mercial tasks that 1t performs that 1t
is worthy of mans attention as one
Of his most valuable mechanical SER
wants.
In Alaska today the United States
government is operating an air mall
route at a yearly saving OF thirty five
thousand dollars under the expense
Of the old mode of transportation.
This air line operates between Seward
and Ititarod twice n week, all the year.
Its operating expense is sixty-two and
six-tenths cents per mile. Italy also
has in operation an air mail service
between the mainland and Sicily. The
reports are that this service Is being
performed with absolute dependable
!ty. Mexico, our scrapping neighbor,
raf hacfn-
ming of an aerial mail route between
Mexico City and Pacchuca, distance
of a hundred and ten miles. There
is also in operation at this time pas
senger and mail aerial service between
the Florida coast and one of the small
islands some distance at sea. All Of
the tests to which this wonderful ma
chine OF the air has been put have
proven It's absolute dependahiiity.
At recent conference in Washing
ton, at the time OF the visit there OF
the Italian and French delegations.
the representatives Of the Oregon and
Washington spruce Lumber Dealers
association offered to furnish to the
government spruce lumber. as per
specifications for aeroplane part man-
ufacture, at one hundred and Ave dol
lars ger thousand feet This rate liz
just one-half Of what the price to
private concerns has been and liz an
excellent piihcation OF the spirit
of the day. This offer, along with the
cooperation OF the engine part manu-
facturers Of the United States and the
general help the factories OF the ma
ton, make possible the winning Of
the war in the shortest possible time
if the policy should be adopted and
hammered. rs Germany has done her
submarine campaign.
OF course, there are people who will
doubt that the aeroplane can possibly
he turned eut>in q stan dAsdtzed type.
Also there are people who a few wears
ago would have believed II impossible
that automobiles would be turned out
in factories in this country at the rate
Of one thousand per day per factory.
There are many machines being manu-
/ featured in America that are fully
as complicated as the aeroplane and
are being manufactured. by an efficient
system OF Standardization.
The standard hattle-p plane OF the
type that America could use abroad
could be prepared for and built at
the rate OF fifty thousand for the first
four months. And in this enormous
quantity can be built with no undue