The Winslow mail., 1925-04-10

November has been working for the
establishment of chain of marked
airplane landing fields, from Wins
low as his headquarters, has been
and is responsible for the working
up of the sentiment and plans for
the celebration, and is the only one
roundabout who is familiar with
such occasions. His connection with
the Photographic section of the
American Army Air Service in
France has given him an intimate
connection with that branch of the
army, the officials of which are
giving him all encouragement in his
work of establishing marked fields,
and toward the success of the dedi-
cation ceremonies here next month
many have promised to cooperate
in every way.
! Definite promises of the COM
manders of the Fort Bliss, Texas,
field, and Rockwell Field, San
Diego, to participate in the event
have already been received, and
other official participants are ex-
pected from day to day.
Airplane travel is just about in
tbo pOci+iO,, +bot n, o+oriyou uoc fop
to fifteen years ago. The mechan-
les of air touring have been per-
fected until today the risk of in
juries received in flights are con-
siderably less than risks encount-
cred in autos. However, airplanes
must have landing fields, as motors
must have roads. Billions of dol
lars and many years time have
been spent in making possible the
great comforts of automobile trav-
ell, and just now are the first steps
being made in paving the way for
convenient air travel.
Landing fields are being built in
towns along definite air routes. A
number of these have been built
up and down across the country,
but in few more years, all towns
will be connected by definitely
marked air routes, and the ones
first to take advantage of the sit
uation by having fields prepared
will reap the benefit.
There are many people who
don't take this landing field bust
ness seriously. They can't see why
Winslow should have one-no
need" for it, they say. No one
needed chewing gum some time
ago, yet Wrigley piled up a tidy
fortune by selling penny sticks. Of
course there isn't much in common
between chewing gum and flying
fields. But the history of tele-
phones, and railroads, and steam
ships, and most everything else
shows this same popularity. From
which it might be deduced that we
don't need" anything!
If Podunk waits until it needs"
a flying field, it's liable to have
nice long wait. Long before Pc
dunk needs" it's flying field, it's
neighbor Squedunk, twenty miles
away, will have discovered that it
needs" one. And, once the Sque-
dunk field is in operation, there
never will be any need" for one
at Podunk. And, SO far as the rest
of the world is concerned, there
won't be any need" for Podunk
some time later on. By the time
the thirty-hour transcontinental
airliners are landing for gasoline
and morning papers, Squedunk will
have become Terminal City and
Podunk will be. forgotten. If you
ask the conductor about it, he'll.
hesitate moment and then an
swer: "Podunk? Oh, yes, that's a
little town some twenty miles off
the route. Yes, there's a railroad
runs to there, but that's ALL And
few automobile tourists, wander
ing from the beaten path, will drift
into Podunk to remark: What a
quaint little old town! Isn't it fun
ny it never grew"
A lot of towns in the United
States will soon be called upon to
make some sort of decision on the
landing field question. And just
what each decides may have a lot
to do with the future development
of that particular town. Of course,
! it's quite possible that some cities
may neglect the landing field ques-
ton for long time without losing
much. Cities don'tgrow overnight
anyhow But the interesting part