The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-08-22
BRITAIN LOSING
! COMMAND OF SEA
Supremacy of French Aircraft
Makes Gibraltar Worthless
MAY BECOME MINOR POWER


After eight centuries of costly ant
difficult endeavor to obtain possession
OF the natural citadels commanding
trade routes by sea, England finds her
self stripped of the command of those
routes.
The formerly strategically unriyaleG
Gibraltar and Suez are to be had fol
the taking by any nation capable OF
attacking from the air.
France could transform the Med
iterranean sea into a French lake
within the space Of "a hours" an au-
thority closely connected with the Brit
fsh air ministry asserted
There Is no doubt of French SUI
periority In the Mediterranean" the
authority continued 1--WE are unable
to determine the exact French air
strength in North Africa, Algiers and
Syria. but we know it to be large.
Gibraltar and Suez would be at q seri-
Gus disadvantage against air attack"
II Gibraltar and Suez lose their
potency as impregnable bottlenecks
Hrom which England has been accus-
toned to exert her will, then the
greatest seafaring nation in the world
must look to some other element for
supremacy, 1t is pointed out.
That other element is the air.
Nominally friends; late allies In the
war; both unable to afford the spend
ing 0 vast sums on armament; Eng
hand and France are girding their loins
to determine the ownership of the air
France Ahead of Rival.
Despite the cementing effect of the
war and a feeling that a common
enemy exists, the fact remains that
England and France are naturally op-
posing forces and have been actively
opposing each olher on more than half
the pages of recorded history
Any nation capable of interfering
with English intercourse with her colo
MES In Africa and the East is regard
ed as serious menace to the British
empire.
France. by means of her air force In
the Mediterranean, could Interfere now
and under present air construction
plans she will remain in the lead and
therefore continue to be a potential
threat to the empire.
BY January 1, 1924, France will
have In commission 2,1SO fighting
planes. according to figures supplied
In London. Some of these will 20 to
reinforce the Syrian and Algerian
sQuadrons. Others will be concentrated
at home.
On January 1, 1924, England will
possess 600 fighting planes, less than
one-third of the French total.
These 600 planes will be scattered |
over the face of the globe The French
planes. In comparison, will be mobil-
lied
The 40 planes at present compris-
ing the Royal air force are based in
eight widely separated districts.
Seventy-two planes are in India.
are in Iraq. Sixteen are in
Palestine Twenty-eght are in Egypt
Forty are in Constantinople. Sixty
are with the navy. Eighteen are in the
Eighty are in Eng
and
Within the next IL months the air
Is authorized to bring the
.otal up to 600.
Minor Power In Air.
With the completion of the 600 ships
England will find herself a minor
'ower with her ambitious neighbor tho {
My major force in the air. The stu I
tion is disturbing to all Englishmen,
and pacifsts alike.
At Malta, England has carved out !.
a air base from solid rock. II Gibral- :
III once the symbol OF stolid impreR- .
ability, Is to be worth keeping, the +
lme must be accomplished there, air u
uthorities agree v
Lloyd George and the others who "
'ught under the banner of mo More T.
Tar," are admitting that their cher G
he'd aim has not been realized. IL
There Is a growing suspicion that II
the continent of Europe there is 8 o
eat power convinced that the time =,
r Selling an empire lis not yet passed n
Italy is unofficially protesting that a
'ance Ii substituting a Jugo-Slavian O.
et for no other purpose than the I'll
mination OF the Adriatic. &C
Russia charges that France Ia sub de-
lining Poland and Rumania for OF
entual use Of their armies against re
: soviets. ~
England unonlciaIly interprets PC
euch air power in the Mediterranean &C. 80
q threat against Hnglish-controlled ~
de routes no
Che French air fleet, according to di
lable authority, Is greater than the be
Ter combined fleets of the world. co