The Washington herald., 1918-01-17
AIR MASTERY
IS REAL MYTH,
SAYS EXPERT
Lord Rothermere Declares
Only Supremacy Is At
tainable by Nations.

Special Cable to The Washington
Herald and New York Tribune.
London. Jan. 16.-Mastery of the air.
insofar as the expression is taken
to mean the total 'blinding'' Of the
enemy. Is not attainable under any
circumstances in the present war.
Lord Rothermere, Britain's air min
lister, made this statement in an ex-
elusive interview with The Herald
today
Il asked Lord Rothermere il. with
Americas full cooperation, mastery
OF the air could be attained in 1915
Mastery of the air is not a suita-
BILE expression to describe any de-
gree Of air superiority" said the
air minister. NO superiority can
be sufficient to insure that hostile
aircraft will not break through on
a limited offensive.
No amount of superiority. whether
of number or quality of machines or
OF pilots, can hope to secure abso-
lutte mastery Of the air. nor can even
a dominant position be assured un-
less the organization of force and
spirit and skilled pilots keep pace
NAA~ kAOh ASACAA VI AhtNudnlGdl dD-
pliances
Rely on America.
1t is hoped that with the cooper
alton of America our present SUPERIOR
ity may be maintained and considera-
bly, increased
This unqualified statement from the
chief OF our allies air service should
dispose of any undue optimism over
the possibilities of achieving complete
control Of the air.
But it does not in any way minimize
the vital Importance of the United
states bending every effort towards
airplane production and the training
of skilled pilots,
Supremacy, not mastery, Of the air
is still attainabIe and still necessary
to insure the success of allied opera
tions in the West.
The question Of reprisals is one
which is interesting everyone now that
the weather Is beginning to clear aud
the British government is popularity
supposed to have adopted such a pol
icy.
win the British enforce the policy
of air reprisals during 1882 1 asked
Lord Rothermere.
The British intend to continue their
air offensive against military objec-
tives in Germany" he replied. The
name that is applied to these opera
tons does not NATTER
This opens the question as to Just
what military objectives consist of.
/ asked Lord Rothermere If the policy
OF bombing open German manufacture
ing towns was not now recognized as a
sound military measure.
Endorses English Policy.
The bombing Of suitable military
objectives in Germany appears to be
q useful measure for the prosecution
of the war" was the nearest the air
chief would come to giving a direct
answer to this question.
Regarding the question of announc-
ing the names and records of a coun-
try's best lighting airmen. 1 asked
Lord Rothermere whether. he con-
sidered it advisable for the United
States to adopt the French policy of
announcing them or the British policy
OF concealing them.
The policies are not quite accurate
ly settled" he said The French an
nouncements refer to the most sue
cessfui fighting pilots. The best flying
men may be employed on more i'm
pOt1dhI OPcfdtfOhS ILAl nSntlnS. Inc
British system Is not to conceal the
names and records of flying men. but
to publish them after they have been
examined and approved by the COM
mander-in-chief and the King.
My own opinion Is that the British
policy is better, both as a matter OF
justice and as tending to keep up
the level Of efficiency throughout the
CONTINUED ON PAGE EIGHT.