The sun., 1919-05-09
America Takes Her Place In the Air.

If any Of the three naval hydroair-
planes, known as seaplanes, which
started with confident commanders
from Rockaway Beach yesterday
morning on the first leg of n trans
atlantic flight completes this pioneer
journey Americans will feel that at
last their country has demonstrated
It's intention and ability to attain and
keep the leadership in aerial naviga-
ton to which it is entitled.
From the days of LANGLEY's expert
ments to the final conquering of the
air by the brothers WRIGHT Amerl-
cans led the world in aeronautical
research and experiment. They mas
tered the technique of flying and con-
structed the first practicable heavier
than air ships. While Count ZEPPE-
LIN was devoting his energy and his
fortune to the development of lighter
than air craft we were solving the
problem on the lines which have made
man the rival of the birds.
But when the mechanical difficult
ties had been overcome and the air
plane had been brought into being
Americans seemed suddenly to lose in
terest in it. From that time on Eu-
rope became the home of airplane
Improvement and accomplishment.
Even when the war began we were
far behind the French in this promis-
ing field Of activity.
When the war began the airplane
entered on n period of bewilderingly
swift development; and the United
States had no part in it. One of the
rOmances of the war is the story of
the increasing Importance of the
planes in the plans of the military
commanders. They began ms some
what distrusted auxillaries they soon
became the eyes of the armies; they
next were converted into instruments
of offensive warfare on a considerable
scale, and only the accident of bad
weather saved Germany in the days
Immediately preceding the signing of
the armistice from attacks by bomb
dropping planes of huge capacity.
When the United States entered the
war the airplane had proved itself
and no attempt was made to belittle
It. At that late day our Government
began TO bestir itself, to encourage
American inventors, 10 support Amer
lean manufacturers who had long en-
countered from 1t nothing but neglect
We had the benefit, freely given and
gladly accepted, Of all the british and
French had learned in three year,
OF fighting, After period Of confu
sion our air programme began to take
shape In the construction OF modern
planes and the training OF aviators
The natural ability of our mechanics
the intrepidity Of young Americans
were at last utilized to put the United
States where it belonged among the
nations in aerial enterprise. and Tho
flight which began under most auspi
cious conditions yesterday is symbol
cal Of the progress that has been mad.
since we took it up in earnest.
The whole American people ar,
watching the transatlantic fight will
the keenest concern. Because air
planes can and do fly over land ant
water there is no such division of In
terest as would occur were the Mt
tempt one having TO do with waite
transportation. SeabOard and INLAND
dwellers have a common thought, {
common hope and a common expecta
tion OF triumphant success for tn,
brave and slSilful men who in thu
uniform OF the navy have embarked
on this great adventure. And behind
the natural interest in a sporting ex
ploit Of unprecedented daring, be
hind the natural longing that Americl
shall be the first to conquer the al
over the Atlantic, is the deep convic
tion that this high adventure seals 70
all time our determination neve
again to be second to any Power IL