Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-01
Henry Woodhouse Authority Aeronaucs Says Recent Develop
Prove Nothing Impossible to Modern Aviation Life
Saving of the Clouds-The First Air Port in the World.

traordinary extent cheaply and very
quickly through the air. Americas
successful experiments. made in spite
of lack Of money and lack Of real en-
thusia SIN outside of a small group,
have proved air mail delivery to be
the method of the future. They have
been duplicated elsewhere.
presently every mail ship will be
the mother vessel Of at least one
plane, which will catch the ship with
late mail from the land after she has
steamed at least 800 miles at her
comparatively low speed and. when
she is not nearer than 300 miles to the
land of her destination, Will leave her
with fast mail to be delivered at
from eighty to hundred miles an
hour. This is certainty, not dream
ing.
IN the United States, whether or
not the government takes UP intelli-
gently real air program, providing
for the advancement Of civilian aero
nautics. development t of moment is
assured. About $4,000 men learned
something of the art of flying during
our war effort Twenty-Five thousand
actually had been in the air when the
armistice was signed, the 10000 who
still were on the ground had learned
more than enough merely to arouse
their interest. Thousands were busy
at construction. A total Of at least
100000 young. bright minds was in
terested In the general subject Of
nying when the war came to an end
interested definitely, professionally.
Many of them, even though they
may be forced temporarily to choose
some other interest, will wait their
chance to get back into this most fas-
cinating field. 1t heartens them to
know that there are in this field pros
poets of rewards and distinction for
skill and genius and even for business
enterprise as extensive as were
opened by the railroad and automo-
bile industries.
There are in it problems Of engi-
neering as huge as were solved by
Goethals and other master builders,
judicial and legal questions to be de-
cided as stupendously difficult as a
statesman ever was called upon to
settle, possibilities for the develop
ment of international friendships
greater than ever before were con-
ceived. problems of transportation as
complex as ever have confronted
economists, opportunities to gain dis
tinction dazzling enough to satisfy
the most ambitious.
presently the last force certain to
be interested-capital- begin to
thrill with fervor. The capitalist who
will see the future Of the air today
will be far more reasonably certain
of immense rewards than were those
who. only a generation or so back,
saw and backed with their. work and
money the future Of the railways.
Immense fortunes, immense power,
immense satisfaction wait for the
establishers of air transportation.
When the Vanderbiits, the Goulds, the
Hills began their fairy tale careers in
the future Of the rail-
way was no more certain than the
future of air transport is today, and
the cost of time and money necessary
for it's development obviously was
infinitely greater than that of air
transport development will be, for no
rights of way will need to be
acquired, laboriously graded, cross
tied and rallied at an immense expense
Of money and of time. in order to
make air routes. When air transport
development once starts it will come
very quickly.
Given motive power and vehicles,
an air line can be established in
ten minutes without payment Of
cent for privilege of going hither or pro-
ceeding yon. The air will be, as one
man put it. big enough for ALL and no
ntonopolies Of routes ever can be man
aged, hampering development. as mo-
hopoiies must always hamper it.
1.-The air routes which will be estab-
hshed presently between New York and
Chicago, Albany, Atlantic City-every-
whcre.-wiH be immensely profita BILE and
their effect upon society. once il starts
to come. will come with magic speed.
Certain problems must be solved, of
course. The biggest is perhaps that at,
present moment landing in the heart of
-