Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-23

up when there was great preponderance oi
| airplanes are beyond the imagination to
| conceive. Those authorities who are close
to the subject see visions OF 10000 men,
| armed with machine guns which might be
transported by airplane and dropped In
front of a retreatins army. That army
| would unquestionably be forced to sur
| render. They conceive this force trans
ported by airplane falling upon interior
points OF munition production and com
pletely obliteraiting them. Transportation
In interior Germany could be greatly in
terfered with. The population could be
terrorized The continuation of the war
would be made impossible.
The building OF this fleet is a task that
appeals to American imagination and
abilities But the experts say also that
hghting in the air Is calling to which the
American temperament should readily re-
spond The Englishman is a good airnan
FOR TO him II Is sport and he is the best
of sportsmen. The Frenchman is also Il
good air fighter. for this work has that
sparkle and dash that Is a part OF him
But the American is a sportsman and an
adventurer and above all other races a man
Of resourcefulness The bane OF the Amer
ican Is his Independence OF action. He has
certain shortcomings in the army because
he IL not amenable to discipline. Every
man wants TO be his own commander. Here
is his chance He is without direction and
can do his own fghting he sees II. His
resourcefulness should find new ways to
get the Boches. should save him when his
machine goes wrong four miles up, should
get him n better machine than the enemy
just as 1t is expected that the engine that
Americans developed in thirty days will |
furnish more horsepower per pound than
any other and may be put together in half |
the time.
The German at the same time. plays n
rather poor part in the air He is pecul- |
arly without initiative and the power of |
'elf-direction, He likes his fellows close |
about him. He will march into the muzzle |
" machine guns in massed formations, sing.
ng his songs and never falter But he is |
,vertrained and overdiscipined for a work
hat In none of its unfoldngs follows the
eguar order, The British and the French
iave far outclassed the German man for
nan, In the air. The American may be de-
'ended TO do so.
KAISER'S ACHILLES HEEL
1t seems obvious to those who know the
'roblem best that the Achilles heel of the
Kaiser is high in the air. That heel is 10
10 hit next summer.
All of which does not mean that the air.
raft board is willing to assume the task
f winning the war single e-handed when the
machines are ready. 1t believes that there
$ triumrirate in modern fighting. The
rst member of this triumvrate is the air
orce which furnishes perfect spotting for
he artillery and blinds the enemy Then
here are the long range guns which guided
V this spotting can batter the enemy de.
enses to pieces. The artillery is the second
1ember of the trumvirate. The third is
he infantry which must take possession of
he field when the way is cleared IL Is |
ecessary that each should be in the pink
condition and well supplied that the big
ush Tor Berlin next summer may become
reality.