Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-02-28
L AGING in AubIanes.

Certainly it would be sad commentary on
our much Wanted yankee enterprise" II the
United States should let other countries go
ahead of us in the development Of the air
plane for commercial and mail-carrying pur
poses. But as some observers point out, We
must get busy to prevent this very thing from
happening. England and Italy have almost
overnight developed the beginnings of full
f1edged enterprise in aerial transportation OF
passengers and mail.
Recently Mr.. Walter G. Cooper of Atlanta
received a letter from an American army OFF,
Ger in France in which he described the flight
of monster fOur-motored biplane flying from
London to Delhi, distance of more than i've
thousand miles, to take to India British
General who has been assigned to the COM
mand of the Indian Air Forces.
Already two British companies are regu-
larly operating air lines between London and
Paris, carrying passengers for fifteen pounds
Sterling each way-this being the equivalent
of seventy-fve dollars in American money
and making the round trip between break
fast and dinner with a four-hour stay in
either city to transact business.
Similar enterprises have been launched b.
other concerns in England one of which is
planning regular passenger service between
London and Cairo. These machines will make
the flight from the Thames to the Nile over
night. and passengers will go to bed in sleep
ing compartments in London and wake up
in Cairo-if they wake up at all.
But so far as the danger of flying is con-
cerned, experience has demonstrated that the
airplane is practically as safe and reliable as
the automobile SO long as it confines itself to
straight flying and does not attempt any aerial
acrobatics. The bombing flyers of the bel
Iigerents in the war, never stopping to fight
unless they were obliged to defend themselves,
and deVOting themselves to straight Journeys
back and forth, sustained no greater casual
ties, proportionately, than the motorcycle
had to push their machines to top speed over
all kinds of roads in all kinds of weather.
According to authoritative statement,
only two aerial transportation companies in
the United States have displayed any life.
There are no machines in regular passenger
service on schedule from city to city. The
Government is making extensive surveys and
is experimenting with big machines in trans
continental flights, but nothing definite has
yet emerged. Even the great plans for an
Air Mail Service announced with such enthu.
siasm by the Postoffice Department and
receive. with such keen interest by the public
appear to be dragging along in a most dis
appointing way.
1t was bad enough for Wright and Curtis,
the world pioneers in the development of
heavier-than-air machines, to be compelled to
go to Europe to get The support they needed
in manufacturing their marvellous invention.
How much worse will it be for the United
States, with all her resources Tor quantity
production of aircraft, to let European coun-
tries go ahead of her in the commercial and
mail-carrying development of the airplane
after the war.
We have produced the Liberty Motor, &C
Enowledged to be a wonder for power and
speed and reliable performance nude, all con-
ditions of altitude and atmosphere. We have
factories capable of producing these motor
in almost unlimited quantity. We above all
other Nations possess the wood and Other
materials used in the construction of air
planes We have just trained for the war a
magnificent body of young aviators.
Instead of trailing other countries we ought
to lead the world in aerial transportation of
mail, aerial transportation of parcels. aerial
transportation of passengers, and general use
of the airplane for personal business and
pleasure.