Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-07-15
A NAVY FOR THE AlR-V.
ny FREDERIC j. HAskIN

WASHINGTON. July 14.-Concerning
the $6O0,000.000 appropriation for ayia-
tion, Brigadier-General Squier rightly
remarked that, considered III terms
bargain" Considered in terms of
what 1t will mean after the war, 1T ap-
pears more of bargain than ever.
ft may seem a lttle early to talk
about after the war" when the air
Meet Is not built yet, and there is no
nation. as to the Individual who can
LOOK ahead. are. power and prosperity
granted; and no less than four Euro
pcon nations are already planning scri-
ousiy and in detail how. their great
aerial naries can be of use to them
after the war. The United states it.
self has just taken the first step in
that direction.
This was the introduction OF joint
resolution in Congress providing for
the appointment of Il commission on
aerial navigation. whose principal
function Will be to investigate the
commercial possibilities Of aerial trans
port. The proposed commission will
consist OF three Senator'S. three Repre-
sentatiVes. a general. an admiral and
d clHilian engineer. Their report is to
DC presented before December of
this year.
Afrplnne Has Come to Stay.
mere is no doubt in the minds of
those who have studied tho situation
mat the airplanc ms n means OF trans
portation. carrying mail. passengers
and certain classes of freight, has come
TO stay. The war has immensely hast
cned It's development. The nations
that are sufficiently progressive and
rar-stghted 10 take up commercial
aerial transport quickly and on large
scale VIII gain Il considerable .advan-
tage in domestic DEVELOPMENT and
commerce after tho war
england has already appointed an I'm
Ncstigating committee similar to the
one proposed for the United states II
is known as the Commercial Aerial
transport Commission. and has Lord
Northclife for it's chairman England
mas been considering the commercial
possibilities OF the airplane seriously
Tor some time and so have France
italy and probably Germany. Each OF
these nations sees itself with a con
stantiy increasing supply of airplanes
and trained pilots on its hands The
excellence of machines and mechanics
rs continually growing more marked
what were once notable fcats of dar-
ing IN the air have become the mcrest
commonplaccs. unworthy even of a
line In the newspapers. These nations
regard IT as Uncomfortable that their
highly developed machines shall be
scrapDed and their trained men mn
back into other pursuits after the war
~ Us inc nope OF all concerned that
the immense military and naval ayia-
tion services Will not have TO be main
tanned. as part OF national anna
ment, In expectation OF another war
The flying fleets will be available for
purposes OF commerce after tho CON
clusion of any satisfactory peace
England has taken UP the problem
more enthusiastically than any other
nation. partly on account OF her i'm
pertal question. The maintenance OF
huge empire is dependent entirely
on means of communication Had il
not been for the improvements In
transportation made in the nineteenth
century, the British empire OF to-day
would not exist. II the airplane can
be used further TO ncrfect transporta
tion methods. England sees in il n
means"of linking the units OF the en-
pre- still more closely into a whole
All the British colonies are represented
on the Aerial Transport Commission.
Problem Soberiy Considered.
The. problem is being soberly con.
sidercd all over the world by prac-
teal men. There is no talk OF tho
airplanc supcrseding the railroad. the
steamship or the automobile. II prom
ises to supplement them all. and "a
take away their business in certain
lines for which IT is particularly fitted
An analogy can be drawn from the
development of the railroad. River
navigation was the accepted means ot
inland travel before the railroad came