New-York tribune., 1921-11-13

Later on some one--to continue to take
refuge in ambiguity-succeeded. Ever since,
airplanes have been up in the air--very much
up in the air.
Now, comes an organization with the avowed
purpose of bringing them down to earth, not
after the uncomfortable manner of the crash,
but by spending the month of December tying
a few facts TO their tails. No doubt seems to
exist that the planes can carry the added
weight; in fact, the theory is they viii fly all
the better for it.
By series of meetings of IT'S sections in the
principal cities of the United States the So~
ciety of Automotive Engineers purposes to un-
cover "The Truth About Aviation" The 40.
ciety is determined to crush truth to earth.
give it good going over and tuning I'D; then
step out, spin the propeller and allow it to
rise again
The Society Of Automotive Engineers n
under the presidency of David Beecroft. It's
secretary and general manager is Coker f.
Clarkson.
Some Of the topics to be discussed are Air.
ways. Ground Organization, Radio and Mste.
geological Service, tn Mail Service, Foreign
Development, Commer al Aviation and Tts
Relationship With Nat4.aal Defense.
More confidence in what has been done in
aviation and less false confidence in what car
be done,'' IN the words Of one of the Of
ficials OF the organization. And 70 sis sun.
port will come the lav observer who is mildly
interested to read tuat some aviator has been
able to climb fe~ thousand feet h;gbsr ~
the air than another, but who personally would
prefer to see ths record made in the direction
OF little better and safer horizontal service.
who admires the nerve OF the gentleman Who
swings from cne plane to another, but would
rather see something done along lines which
would result in less spectacular transfer.
The speaker Of the meeting of the New
York section December Is is4expected TO be
Brigadier General William Mitchell, of the
Air Service. Speakers being invited for
ether cities are Postmaster General Havs.
Colonel J. G. Vincent, designer of the Lib
erty motor; Ralph Upson, balloon expert:
Glenn Martin, designer and manufacturer Of
planes, and others.
Under discussion viii be Federal reruja-
ton Of civil aviation as provided for in the
proposed Wadsworth bill now in committee
in Congress, measure aimed to end the un-
authorized and unregulated fight to which,
SO many accidents are due. The society also
will discuss the advisability of government
subsidy. Expert opinion is divided on this
question.
It is pointed out that government subsi-
dies in Europe, said to amount to nine cents 70
each cent in the passengers fare, have re-
suited in the further development Of con,-
uercial aviation there. But the meetings
will not pass over such flaws as the basis of
subsidies abroad, which is mileage flown, re-
gardless of the quality of the flight Rectif-
cation Of such discrepancies cannot fail to
appeal to the person who hopes some day 70
become regular air passenger. For the pas
senger who had completed nine-tenths of
caIn VI SeseIdl uttlS air Journeys, only 70
have them end in crashes, could not help but
be oppressed by the knowledge that the
transit company was collecting almost fun
rates in spite Of it ALL
The meetings will not lose sight of the fact
that the airplane> some day may compete with
the railroads by virtue of superior speed.
Comparative costs are among the high bars
now, but it is recognized that these are by no
means impossible of lowering. The matter Of
landing and departing away from the center
of the city is another stumbling block But 10
is believed that proper train connections from
aviation fields into the cities viii come with
increased air traffic, which will be matter for
the meetings to further.
Engineering science of to-day is not willing
to brand anything as impossible. Landing On
the tops of buildings still is in the stunt stage.
but there has been experiment on the reversal
OF propelers ior braking, and one never can
tell, you know. And while the helicopter is
little more than theory now, and rather a
dangerous one to work on, more difficult prob.
lens than its vertical fight have been solved
ere now.
Motion pictures of airplane bombing cper-
ations against battleships are TO have first
showing at the Yneetiro hv wsv NJ sudicsfincs