The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-12-08

Following is the address of Capt. H.
II. Christy, L. S. N, at the dedication
Of Cory Field yesterday afternoon:
Your EXcellency, Your Honor, Ladies
and Gentlemen:
The committee of the Chamber Of
Commerce in charge of the exercises
today has been kind enough to permit
me to tell you something Of what this
magnificent landing field will mean
to the navy. The subject is so OK
tensive that were I to tell you all that
it will mean, we should miss the OPP
portunity of hearing many better
qualified speakers-so / shall confine
myself to the major aspects of my
topic, and endeaVor to show you in
some measure what the acquisition of
such a landing field will mean to the
naval service.
have been requested by Admiral
Moffett. chief of bureau of aeronautics
to express TO the officials of the city
and county and the civic organizations,
who have made this landing field a
reality. his keen disappointment that
pressing duties in Washington pre-
vented him from having the privilege
Of being present on this occasion, to
greet you and meet the executive of
Your great state.
Costly Lessons Required
The layman, thinking of the navy in
terms of ships and salt water, may be
excused if he expresses surprise at
the navys need Of land-type airplanes;
indeed. J. myself. should have been as
sorely perpleXed as he if some prophet
had told me, five years ago, that l
would one day command a flying field.
One learns, in the navy, to accept
things as they come. but / confess be-
fore you all that l would have had
grave misgivings as to the prophets
sanity. 1t required the costly lessons
of the Great War TO teach us the need
Of Il new, strange craft to accompany
our scouting fleet-the aircraft car
ricr. Cruising far ahead of the battle
ShipS, in the van of the scouting force,
this queer floating landing field with
whole squadrons of airplanes housed
below decks can, at the word of COM
mand. launch a score of fast scout
planes and enormously extend the
vision of the commander in chief.
Having secured the information upon
which the success of the campaign
may depend, the planes appear as tiny
black dots on the horizon ahead, grow
larger, circle down, and settle to rest
on the carriers broad deck. Looking
at them as they are rolled to the
elevators which lower them to their
hangers below the FLYING deck. we
see that they are the familiar land
planes we knew at Pensacola-and we
realize, at last, the navy's need for
these fast-flying scouts of the upper
air.
Plane Newest Weapon.
Warfare at sea is no longer the
simple engagement of ship with ship
which furnished the annals of our
early history with so many glorious
examples Of American courage and
fortitude. I intend no disparagement
Of those intrepid sea captains who
carried our new born flag through
heroic encounters to victory on the
high seas, when l say that sea warfare
has today become a complex and re-
Condite science employing weapons of
which Hull and Decatur never dream
ed. The newest weapon is the air
plane,l and woe betide the nation which
neglects its development. for that ma
ton will fare badly in the naval en-
ga gements OF the future. God grant
they may never Come-but let US be
none the less prepared to maintain
the tradition Of American supremacy
which we have never relinquished, and
never will.
The City of Pensacola then per-
forms a patriotic service of the utmost
value in presenting this magnificent
raining field to the navy. 1 say train
ng field. for it's principal function will
be the preparation of student aviators
for their duties with the fleet-duties
so consummate a degree of
skill that it can only be obtained by
months of practice on such ground as
your city has here so generously pro-
Sided.
The navy department has been en-
lbled, by this patriotic offer, to con-
,entrate at Penscola, the training &C
.ivities for the whole of naval avia-
ion. The wisdom OF such a course was
Ong apparent; a business can be
better managed when all of it's