The Washington times., 1919-02-23

- ress which will certainly occur in
the near future have made it necessary to
f1x the laws Of the air.
The aeroplane, like the automobile, has
become an actual commercial proposition.
In the post Office in New York, for in
stance, is a printed announcement Of the
3 United States Government inviting atten-
ton to a regular daily aeroplane mail
i service between New York, Philadelphia,
Washington and other points, stating the
hours for the closing of the aeroplane
mails and postage rate.
An order recently issued by the Federal
Government in Washington forbids the
shooting of wild fowl from aeroplanes.
Here again is another official recognition
of new field of possibilities of the aero
plane.
AS the automobile created a totally new
set Of conditions calling for special licenses
and traffic laws and limitations of privi-
lege-so the perfection Of the aeroplane
brings the civilized world face to face
with totally new set of problems which
mankind has never before been called up
on to consider and for which there are no
Precedents and no past experience to draw
upon for guidance Z
At present there are no laws settling the
many questions that must arise between
s ayiators in the air and between an aviator
and a man on the ground. There is no
court which can tell the owner of a house
what rights he has against an aviator
flying over him.
1t seems to be settled that the old rule
that man owned from his land up to the
sky must be discarded, because that would
make aviation impossible, but how far do
his rights go? This is only one example
Of many that have arisen. Before the air
above crowded cities becomes thronged
with seroplsnes It will, be necessary to
settle these problems.
IN some respects the problems Of regu-
lating aircraft resembles the problems of
regulating automobiles
If chauffeur can be arrested and fined
for driving his noisy car past your bedroom
windows with his muffler open, why should
your roof with the sleep-waking, rattle and
bang Of his engine running without muf.
fleT? But nobody has been able TO make
a satisfactory muffler for an 'aeroplane.
Furthermore, how are you to reach up and
arrest the noisy aviator OF even to know
who he is?
This very naturally suggests the ques-
tion as to whether aeroplanes, like auto
mobiles, should not carry number plates.
But how can you distinguish even an H.
Illuminated number plate several thousand
feet in the air?
Of course, il an automobile runs you
down in the street, the law is plain and
the method Of securing evidence is simple.
If an aeroplane falls from the sky and
damages you or your family, similar laws
are easy to devise and apply. But sup
pose the aviator drops a monkey wrench
from five thousand feet in the air and
cracks your child's skull-how are you to
to identify the owner of the plane or prove
that the monkey wrench was dropped by
him?
me dINtuL u liit dGAOploilE' AtS ouOP-
ton by the post office department for car
rying mail and the plans already matur-
ing for establishing regular routes Of travel
between cities. open up an entirely new
visto cf eypgn e and taxation.
If an aerial highway is laid out between
New York and Chicago, or Chicago and
the Pacific Coast, it must be marked and
lighted, and, perhaps, policed. Already
considerable attention has been given to
the problem Of marking highways through
the air. Schemes of balloons with signs
painted on them have been devised and
various conspicuous marks upon the ground
have been set up as sign posts and guides.
And for night travel enormous electric
arrows and Illuminated numbers have
been devised.
An Inter-Auied Air Commission has
been called in Paris to pass on some Of the
principal problems Of aviation. 1t has
already been agreed that they will institute
a system Of day and night marks for avi-
ators, a meteorological service to give in
formation to them, and a system OF educa-
ton to enable them to navigate safely be-
tween distant points. It's recommends
tions will be put in force by the Peace
Conference or whatever international au-
thority succeeds that body.
Various persons interested in aviation