East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1922-09-06
AIRCRAFT MENACE IS
BEFORE HOUSE OF LORDS

LONDON, Sept ga. P.)--Thc
question of the aircraft menace and
the building of the two capital ships
sanctioned by the Washington Naval
agreement. has seen raised in tho
House of Lords by the Marquis of
Linlitheow.
Why, he asked, SHOULD it be thought
that supremacy in@the air would give
mil tary advantage belonging to COM
mand Of the sea- He doubted the
ability of aircraft to carry any APP
pEeciablc quality of the food supplies
needed by Britain, or to protect hel
lines of commerce 4 Also he doubted
that the bomb-dropping or torpedo
firing airplane would be able to neu
tralizc tho capital ship, against which
steam of interested propaganda"
was being directed
Lord Lee replied that Britain's ma
val policy was unchanged and the cap
ital ship was still regarded as indis-
persable,
There have been no new develop
ments in connection with either aerial
or underwater attack" he said,
which necessitate a reversal of the
decision of the government To procec0
with these capital ships or indeed,
any government to proceed with these
capital ships. or, indeed, and modf-
cation in the constructional desiGns
which have been already approved.
1T is the view of the Admiralty
and its military advisers he added,
fortified and based on the expert
ence of the war and by a long series
of experiments that-it is possible, both
constructionalIy and financially 40
build capital ships which shall be rea-
sonahly proof against any known or
likely methods of attack. The neces-
sary designs for that purpose already
have been worked out and approved
and are ready for the use of the build
er
Unless these two capital ships are
proceeded with Lord Lee Concluded.
I'VE shall have to abandon the one
power standard and fall to third place,
Japan, in the most vital portion of
fleet. Such course would be fatal
to our prestige and incompatible with
government pledges.
britannia still rules the air thourh
she may not quite rule the waves. So
claims the Air Ministery in "A state
ment. From this it appears that
The British Navy is bettcr equipped
in regard to aircraft than that of any
otlmr power ga,
The number of fighting Faircraft
available for the navy can be explain
ed at the briefest notice, and pilots
supplied.
Important new types Of machines
for the use of the navy shortly will be
adopted.
development of the nayal wing of
flying" said an official of the Air Min
istry. has been greater in England
than in any other country. We claim
that the naval side of the air service
isc the most efficient and up-to-date
in the world.
I'VE have about qS fighting ma
chimes in commission. equivalent to
eight squadrons; another As are in usr
for training purposes, and over 800
are in reserve, apart from machines
requiring reconditioning. These can
al ne manned. plllS oH' SIudhl oH ~
abroad
AT any moment we can put 700
or 500 machines into the air. and W.
have an additional 5000 machines
Secret tests carried out by aircraft
attacks on battleships are said to
have proved the effectiveness of
smoke screens thrown out By aircraft
before attacking with torpedoes. The
machines used were planes
and The torpedocs carried oil instead
OF the usual explosive charge. part
Of the fleet was detailed TO be prepar-
ed for a sudden attack from the air
but the time of attack was not given
and anti-aircraft gunners were kept
on the alert.
The planes appeared high up out of
range and suddenly planted smoke
screen round the fleet by means OF
bombs Behind il they twisted and
turned until they had obtained broad
side position. The torpedocs were dis
charged at short range and 1t Is un-
derstood the umpire awarded 100 per-
cent hits. All the machines returneu
safely to their base and the operation
$ said to have lasted only 80 SECONDS