Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-06-01
by EDWARD MARSHALL.
.cial Correspondence Of The Star.

SPENT some days here during the
great aero convention and show.
watching the transactions Of the
first airport in all the world
tho port at which the great trans
atlantic air liners are certain to make
their landings for the reason that 1t
, il conve nient to New York and Phila-
delphia and is the only port in all the
world equipped for the reception of
great aircraft. Now I have been down
again, going over the achievements
OF these recent pregnant weeks and
the promise for the future, with
Henry Woodhouse, the father OF the
an-American aeronautic convention,
which literally astonished all the
world. Much has happened since my
recent talk with him, although it oc-
Cured only few weeks ago. He is
absolutely certain that the day of
air transport Is at hand.
THE fact is" said he, that aerial
science is SO ridiculously young that
to begin to talk Of limits to it would
be a sheer absurdity. All we know
about it is that to it everything is
possible and immediate. marvels are
certain.
To-day 1t is just emerging from the
stunt stage. There never was any
question in my mind of the ability Of
aircraft to cross the ocean. 1t was
certain that the effort would breed
its own annoyances Of delays due to
miscuiculation. that accidents would
happen and that there would be many
theoretical certainties which would
prove to be practical impossibilities,
but that 1t would be accomplished
through the regular and logical pro-
gression Of the science. l predicted
long ago. The long flight never has
been subject to any experts doubt.
And many achievements other
than long flights give US firm basis
now on which to base our prophecies
to come. We have made fine altitude
records. topping the highest noun
tains literally without peril or great
effort. We have made speed records
which show the airplane to be the
fastest means of lOcomotion that so
far has been developed by mankind.
With airplanes we have done what
flown upside down. With them we
have done the tail SPIN the falling
leap and the roll Only lack of in
vention. not daring or machine
ability. has prevented US from making
other tests.
Well you say, what does that
all amount to beyond mere trick
work! Circus acrobats do not prove
ali men to be gymnasts. Even the
military service of the aircraft was,
speaking generally. Stunts The
cost of wartime flying. both in money
and in lives, was proof that save for
use in an emergency justifying any
mad extravaganza the aeroplane has
not reached a stage of proof
my answer is that no one yet has
tried to bring 1t to the stage Of proof
what have we had with which to
do that which we have done? Let's
d: stop and think. The stage of our
aerial development, as a matter Of
fact, Is about comparable to that
which the navies Of the world would
have reached il marine engineering
had developed only the speed boat.
'If upon the seas there were no
power craft but speed boats it is
probable that croakers would be say
ing marine. engineering could not
hoOe to develop anything more valu-
able than an interesting toy. "
.. .kyt* :.
;. Suppose we. go q step further in
ocr study Of the situatio as it EXISTS,
admitting frsakty that before the air
plane becomes q factor in across-t the :
ocean traffic we must not even think
Of hops as 4. necessity. in trans
atlantic flight. but, must be ready to
start with calm assurance from At
,.lentic City and make non stop. non
perilous- flights. to London, Paris or
that, chastened city. Berlin. -.
What do we find? That we scarce
ly have had time even to- consider the
instruction. of machines reasonably
adapted to- such tasks. In order to
do SUCH work certainly and safely we
must at, least double the size and
power of existing planes. We know
perfectly that this is we'll within the
bounds of possibility (some of us al
most would deny that possibility in