Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1918-01-25
American AViat0rS
Germany In
1t Live. Up to All Our Traditions
Of Doing Things on a Splen-
did Scale, Says Secre-
tary Baker

~-~~~~~~~~~~~"~~O
TTHERE will be at least $4,000 air
soldiers of America within yeal
from today. They are comma
from all walks of life, but by. the time
they have mastered their business and
been admitted into full service they
will have become an army learned III
! half a dozen sciences. They will nave
become competent men of the World.
Their number will be increased by
thousands of young Canadians, Eng
lishmen and Frenchmen who Will De
trained hereafter upon the flying helds
of the United States. 1t will be gIo'
rious school Of battle, this Academy OF
the Air: q school in which the United
States will lead the world, one which
will make it a leader among the ma
tons Of earth.
have been permitted to tell two I'M
portant details of the United States ali
program, says the Washington CORE:
spondent of the Philadelphia Press.
One is the tentative plan of battle Tor
the great drive i.,to Germany by the
new battle planes, air scouts and bomb
droppers. Straight into the heart OF
industrial Germany they will hy, anu
their path will be one of black ruin.
It is Americas answer to the subma-
rine terror. The second detail is the
plan for training the new air army.
Even the war department, commit
ted as it is to fighting on the earth's
surface. welded as it has been to use
of soldiers, cavalry, artillery and all
other manner Of earth crawling SOL
diery. has caught this vision OF victory
through the air.
"The war department is behind the
aircraft plans with every ounce OF en-
ergy and enthusiasm at its command
Secretary Of War Baker said IN dis
cussing the plans Of the aircraft pro-
duction board and the signal corps to
strike at Germany in the air. 1.-THE air
craft program seems brutal; means the
most effective way in which to exert
Americas force at once in telling fash.
ion.
EVERY consideration points to the
effectiveness of highly developed
air service in its relation to the part
which the United States can play IN
putting an end to the war. 1t lives
up to all Americas traditions OF do
ing things on a splendid scale. 1t Will
nut us on our mettle from the point OF
view both of mechanical ingenuity and
of individual daring and initiative"
The development Of the aeroplane IN
the war has been marvellous, and al
most anything Of startling nature
could be expected Of it. The uses to
which the seaplanes have been put IN
the present war is most comprehend
bly told in 1.-The Textbook OF Naval
Aeronautics," arranged by Henry
Woodhouse, naval and aerial expert
and published by the Century COM
pany.
Aerial Photography.
Aircraft have made photography OF
tremendous value in warfare, says Mr..
Woodhouse. Whereas at the beginning
of the present war commanders thought
that it was wonderful to be able to get
clearly written or sketched reports or
conditions from air scouts who had
flown over the enemy lines, today they
expect Photographic evidence.
1t is not sufficient for an aviator to
return from raid and report that he
dropped bombs on given place and did
certain damage. He must bring pack
Photographic proofs, and he usually
does. Likewise, the observer sent out
on an aerial reconnaissance brings back
series of photographs, which are
promptly put together and enlarged by
experts, and Photographic maps are con-
structed therefrom, showing the exact
topography of the country, existing con-
dititns, location, composition and dis
position of fleets or steamers and trans
ports and Of land defenses protecting
the approaches to harbors of places OF
strategic importance. The accuracy OBJ
tanned by aerial photography is 50 rev.
olutioRary from . military standpoint
that it would have been uncomfortable
before the present war to be able to
realize it. As q matter Of fact, the
commander can have . moving picture
taken in a few hours which will show
the exact conditions between any two
given points and enable him to plan his
operations accordingly.
Proof Of Damage Done.
OF course the commander Of the op
posing forces has the same privilege
unless one side has the mastery Of the
air and is In a position to prsvent the
aviators of the other side from flying
over their own lines and taking photo
graphs. -.t- s- 3. rr.
In q report Of a bombing raid on he
Turkish lines by a seaplane squadron,
which started from seaplane carrier
at Saloniki, Lieutenant Francois Ber-
nou. who was on the seaplane carrier