Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-08-07
AERIAL OFFENSIVE COMING.

The most famous voyage In the
history of the world was made 426
years ago Columbus sailed from
Spain, touched the Portuguese coast,
paused at the Azores, and then drove
across the unchartered seas until his
| iolly-boats nosed the sands of a new
| world
Another voyage that will shine in
history beside that of Columbus will
almost surely reverse the route Of the
great discoverer-from the American
continent at Newfoundland, say, to
the Azores, thence to Portugal and
finally to France.
But it will be made through the
skies by aeroplane.
And ii there is anything in prop
hecy based on science it will be made
this year-before the leaves fly, pos
sibly in September.
At least this is the settled opinion
of Major General william S. Branch
er, comptroller-general Of equipment
on the British Air Council. General
Brancker is now in Washington to
help coordinate the efforts of the
Allies in the air His position as to
the fight across the Atlantic is sin
ply this: that it must be done some
time in the present war, that it is
already possible to do it, and that
therefore it should be done now. Once
the first flight is an accomplished
fact he sees steadily growing fleets
Of huge planes making the trip as
regular part of the Independent
aerial offensive by which it is hoped
to bomb-spatter every industrial CEN
ter in Germany.
General Brancker is not a man to
inspire doubt. He is a compound OF
confidence and caution When he
doesn't know he doesn't talk and
when he Goes talk he is careful to ex-
2ress himself definitely and in con-
sidereC terms. His enthusiasm abide3
in energy and his convictions rest on
facts. The reason his first call for
he over Ocean fight so electrified
the American rablic was simply be
cause what 10 hin was the reasoned
solution of a problem after slow
stages OF investigation was to them
the sharply sudden apparition of what
had been a vague and romantic
dream
America views the whole matter
distinctly as war problem. Anything
else that develops from the trans
Atlantic fight will be merely a by
product of war. Our purpose and
work is simply to carry the war into
Germany in the quickest and most
direct way possible.
You see, that idea isn't anything
startlingly new" he declared. 1T was
suggested to US more than a year
ago and since then many designers
have become interested and many de-
signs submitted. All the time it has
been developing as one of tx prac-
tical problems of this war.
What we call the aerial offensive"
has been constantly before the
worlds eyes-the attempt to smother
industrial Germany under an unre-
hitting hail of explosives. Obvious
ly, for this sort of thing, machines
of great weight-carrying power and
1 wide range are Reeessary if we mean
to attack osnters everywhere within
the German empire, and machines of
this design would BE quite the type
which could cross such vast stretches
as the Atlantic under their own pow
err.
Now America as a factor in the
aerial war was looming larger al
the time But shipping was the lin
iting factor SO far as Americas par
ticlpation was concerned. Airplains
which can't float across the ocean
have to go by ship, Let's ship as