The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1919-06-21
IRELAND THE TRANSATLANTIC AIR
PLANE TERMINAL

An interesting and instructive feature of the
recent successful transatlantic air flight of Avi
ators Alcock and Brown is that it to the coast
of Ireland that their landing was made-at Clifden
in the County Galway. The daring birdmen were
anxiously watching for suitable place to plant
their machine again terra 1rma and guided it
dow, but on alighting they found themselves in a
soft Irish bog. Clifden is forty miles north
west of Galway and is situated on the inlet of Ard
bear harbor. The distance from St. Johns, New
Irish coast is about 1860 miles, and the time re-
quired to traverse the distance was little more
than sixteen hours.
The selection of point at the center of the
Irish coast line the terminal point Of the historic
trip emphasizes the potentialities of Ireland
in relation to the future development of world COM
munication and commerce During the war the
Importance of the island from the military and
naval viewpoint was subject of much discussion
and conversation. It was described as the "Hego-
land of the Atlantic in it's relation to Britain and
the European continent and it generally recog-
nized that if the enemy submarines could have
established few bases in its numerous coast in
dentations the British navy would have been re-
duced to impotence. There are eighteen natural
harbors along the coasts of Ireland that are said
Ito be capable of accommodating vessels of the arg
est modern type and many hundreds of smaller
inlets that are adaptable to coastwse traffic. But
none of these have been provided with the improve
ments and equipments required for modern sea-
traffic. Because of the racial and commercial jeal-
ousy of British competition these natural facilities
have remained practically unused. Any attempt on
the part of the Irish municipalities or trade organ
zations to utilize the advantages and opportunities
that a kindly Providence had placed at their dis
posal has met with such fervid opposition from the
other side Of the Channel that such efforts had to
| be abandoned And the result has been a loss not
only to Ireland, but to Britain ITSELF and to the
whole commercial world, retardation of general
progress and civilization.
| Within the next decade or two the world is
destined to witness epoch-making advance in
aerial communication and transportation. 1t took
Just one hundred years to make the step between
transatlantic steam navigation and the achieve
ment of air passage. Less than one tenth of this
time it is believed by the aviation experts will be
required to establish regular and safe aerial trans
portation across the seas and it is altogether prob
able that the permanent routes of the new traffic
will be laid along the lines of the achievement of
Alcock and Brown, who selected the coast of Ire
land for the terminal point Of their trip This would
seem to indicate the advent of a new era of com
lmercial activity for Erin, if British jealousy and
repression suffered to prevent it, as in the
lease of the development Of the Irish harbors and
railways. No country has experienced the loss Of
the freedom of the seas" in more drastic measure
than Ireland. Will British alienism now attemp,
i to withhold sidetrack the benefits that should
NATURALLY to her from the universal freedom
of the air? Not while the League covenant is
pending, but perhaps eventually, if all goes well
with the British policies in that pact.