El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-11-17

- AIRS, France. Nov 1.-THE lines
u that follow shall be devoted to
Il the air game: somewhat TO the
the European air game; some
what 10 the American air game
viewed from a European angle To
be=in. let US admit the truth frankly
the allies have not the mastery Of
the air. Perhaps the. Germans have
no air supremacy. for there may be
no such animal Certainly the allies
haven't it. Indeed the word suprem-
scy means so many different kinds Of
things in the air game that 10 claim
II all in one phrase is a large order.
So that at the outset Of this discus
sion it may be well 10 consider defini-
tons and terms.
There IS first OF all the lowest kind
or supremacy-th largest number Of
su kind Of air craft which means lit
tie unless the majority is overwhelm-
insly on one side. ana at the present
moment the majority is hardly evi-
dent IN sheer numbers OF machines
neither side has much advantage Next
there is supremacy OF speed. which in
a few cars seems TO lie with the Ger
mans but not with enough planes TO
make that kind Of supremacy impor-
tanr. Then there is supremacy of cell
ing. the maximum altitude to which a
plane is capable Of rising TO get the
advantage Of position in an encounter
Germany Leads NOW.
Possibly that supremacy may for
the moment rest with the German
fighting plane. Battle lines in air
now range we'll above 10000 feet
some individual encounter battles
have wsEed AZ $4,000 feet and a plane
that stops at 5000 feet speaking
broadly and allowing for certain
qualifications TO he made later. need
not 20 Up al all il is defeated at the
hangar.
Supremacy in bombing cars-which
are not fighting cars at all. but cars
TO he conveyed by fighters, rest so far
IS size and quality Of the plane with
the Italians. Supremacy in planes to
be used for controlling artillery fire
seems 10 be with the French As for
supremacy Of fighting air men-rhera
Is a drawn battle again and IL must
be remembered that for every hundred
men who enlist In the air service only
one lone man proves himself an air
fighter OF first quality. The rest
either 20 10 the discard or they man
other than fighting planes ohserva- Z
ton planes. photoEra phinE planes or
bombing cars or long distance recon- z
noisance planes
Chivalry OF Air Men.
The Germans. the French and the /.
English have their aces as these air 4
fighters are called, and no fighting !
air man IS likely 20 claim the supre- I
macy Of the air for his own country f
For the esprit de corps Of the fighting .
men is one OF the finest things OF the 4
war. Indeed. IL seems likely that his .
tory will say that in this war there 4
was no chivalry except that Of the air .
men.
From these preiiminsries It may be q
well TO 20 10 the consideration Of ma
tiousl aims as TO the military value I
and use OF the airplane- these can /
vary widely The French believe :
firmly that the only reason for air /
craft in war is 10 furnish eyes 10 the /
field Eunners- To protect their eyes, /
the French believe that fighting 1
planes are necessary they believe that .
phinE planes help. and that I
the use Of bombing may be expressed f
in the terms Of counter irritantE. But f
gun control is the chief end Of the air 4
man in the French cstechism.
The italian Plane.
The Italians believe i'm BON hing