Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-06-16
LANDING Of FLYERS
GIVES PLEASURE TO
SECRETARY DANIELS
Declares World Is Now on
Threshold of Greater
Developments.
THINKS AMERICAN CONGRESS
WILL PROVE MORE LIBERAL
Believes Nonstop Flight Will
Bring More Funds for
Trials.
PRAISE ACCORDED ANIlTOES
PRAISE ACCORDED AVIATORS
Americas Pioneer Airmcn, Who
Biazcd Way Over Sea, Congratu-
late .Alcock and Brown.

WASHINGTON, June l5.-Thc capital
was electrified today by receipt OF
news Of the landing Of Captain John
Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur w.
Brown in their Nickcrs-Nimy bombing
biplanc at Cli:den. Ireland, thereby
concluding the first successful nonstop
transatlantic flight.
II am intensely grat!ied and very
pleased" said Secretary of the Navy
Daniels this afternoon. 1T was
great achievement and IL shows that
we are just on the threshold Of greater
developments in aviation than we ever
dreamed of-even a month or two ago.
II also shows the necessity Of liberal
!ty on the part of Congress In the nat
ter OF American aviation service"
1t was only yesterday that Mr.. Dam
iels sent letter to Senator Carroll
fairs Committee of the Senate. protest
ing against the action of the House in
reducing the appropriation for navy
with the s32000o.O00 appropriation that
Great Britain has made for the pur-
poses of improving both her naval and
military air fleets.
Doubtless the feat of the Anglo
American aviators in crossing the At
lantic in sixteen hours Lieutenant
Brown is an American-will have more
GreSs than any number OF letters from
either Navy or War Department oif-
Gals. Congress now sees an accom-
plished fact. and is not expected 10
disregard It,
PiauditS Without Number.
There were plaudits without num-
Der this afternoon in War and Navy
Department circles when news of the
that the Nickers-N -Nin!y machine had
landed at Cl!fdcn, Ireland, army and
navy officials expressed their admira-
ton of the daring OF the two av!ators
who flew in the face of the Hawker-
Grieve flight which would have ended
so disasirously In mid-ocean were IL
not for a passing tramp freighter,
" hich rescued the two men.
splendid" was the consensus OF all
remarks and comment on the success
ful consummai!on OF the first nonstop
hight.
Congratulations were also forthcom-
ing from the families OF Americas
pioneer airmen. who hiazed the way
across the Atlantic and hold honor
II think it was wonderful" said
Mrs y. C. Read. wife of the commander
Of the successful navy seaplane NC-4
but 1t took us 20 get over first"
Mrs. John IT, Towers, wife oc the
commander of the NC-S. also express
we didn't get over any too soar"
Sne Saln.
Need of Air Force Seen"
Just the American tranSocean
flight first demonstrated the feasibi-
iiy Of crossing tho Atlantic hy air the
present flight. is the belief of navy
an adequate air force by The United
states. The views are shared ay War
Department officials aud by the country
at large, it is believed.
With the United States only sixteen
hours air distance from Europe, ii
would be foo!hardy 10 relax efforts to-
strurtion OF numerous planes of all
{ypes and sizes. and TO depend on good
fortune TO protect us from hostile air
INVASION, II was said this afternoon.
Mr.. Daniels letter to Senator Page
recounts the tremendous Development
or aeronauti;s down 10 the feat of The
NC-4. and adds:
the British r':gii H-a4 which is to
EnsIadd to ' the rGi,@I M Hy;rgSsy ytSss 'T%m Th"
performances OF this British rigid to
date indicate The rrac, c,icability OF
attempt fail by some mischancc. there
is every prospect that the voyage will
soon be successfully accomplished
United States Must Act.
Il feel sure thar you will agree with
me that the United States, where was
huilt and operated the nrst successful
dying machine, which has under the
stress OF war. made supreme effort
=. w.
broadly speak ing, abrcas, Of the resi-
OF the world in a"ronau;icnl develop
ment. and ahead in some respects as
instanced by the successful VOYAGE of
the NC-4, should not now falicr and
fall by the waysidc in aviation"
secretary Daniels wants at least
S3u.OOo.Ooo for the development of ma
va! aviation during the coming ycaF.
Navy experts have asked for SI5 600 OOO
If only $4,000 600 In Forthcoming. the
navy will be compelled to forsakc its
program for the building OF dirigiblcs
The rigid dirigiblc, he said. rendered
splendid service during the period OF
the war and was used Successfully hv
both Great Britain and Germany. Con-
cerning the part aircraft have i'm CO.
operating with the battle fleet, Mr..
Daniels views are as follows:
Spotting from aircraft increases the
gunnery efiiciencyat long ranges tre-
mendously. and gunnery efficiency per-
haps is,> more than anything else. the
real measure of efficiency of the fleet
Several times in our recent fleet cXer-
cises, low visibility or smoke screens
absolutely prohibited spotting from
ships, and all spots had 10 be taken
from the spoilers In the aircraf; over
head. The Improvement in the abil-
ity to spot is one Of tho compelling
reasons for shooting ut longer ranges.
y naval action undouht :dly will be
begun In clear weather at ranges OF
over 10000 ards and spotting from