The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-06-22
EXPERT AYERS
PLANE LINES
SURE T0PAY
Declares Commercial Aviation
Will BE Used Extensively
in Few Years
BY CHARLES L. STEWART
NEA Service Writer

Washington, June 22.-"Twenty
years hence, when commercial avia-
ton has come fully into its own"
predicted Captain james V. Martin,
worlds airplanc efficiency record
holder, 1--WE shall look back and mar
vel that ever we lcvcled hills, filled
up valleys, bridged rivers and tun-
neled through mountain ranges to
get from one place to another.
Transportation, he continued,
lis the greatest single agency in
early progress. Think what a stride
forward will be made with the dcvel
opment and universal use Of this
new, swift, economical means Of
travel and distribution!"
EDO you mean economical" quer-
led, except. in sense, for trans
portatlon purposes where time
counts more than cost? Will bulk
freight ever 20 by air.
"Why not?' said Martin. "Wherc
railroads actually exist, no doubt
they'll be operated for some time.
The big money, for construction, will
be sunk in them already.
"But gradually they'll wear out
and mighty few new ones will be
perhaps" thoughtfully $500 ave
shan't carry lumber, for instance.
through the clouds. And yet know
which are planning to buy plane
to carry their crude petroleum.
"But long hauls overseas ?" II
asked. "Can planes compete with
oh in hap MI oh,
take its timer
at isn't so much a question Of
the cargo's time" answered Martin,
Gas it is Of the time it takes tn e
ships.
ocean freightcrs are slow. They
are long time at sea and all that
time they're burning fuel and their
crews are drawing pay and their
owners money is tied up in them.
"I'nf not so doubtful whether
planes can compete with ships as |
am whether ships can compete with
planes-in Is or 20 years"
Martins captaincy is Of the sea.
A master mariner, he followed it for
years. So he's an authority on ocean
problems as well as those of the air.
care surface war fleets obsolete?'
] asked.
"As the dodo,' said Martin posi-
lively.
"Then the plane has supplantcd
the battleship?"
cabs olutely." /!
"But planes" l argued, "must
have a base to operate from"
$50 rejoined the captain, must
battleships. They're as helpless as
any craft afloat-takc mile and a
half to stop, 10 minutes to get IN,
full speed aren't very fast at best,
steer reluctantly and have to have
10 times their own number of at
tendant craft to safeguard and keep
them supplied
"Why. battleshps," went on the
captain, "hardly were used at ali in
the last war-had to be kept vir-
tually inland-couldn't be trusted at
sea on account of submarines. And
submarines aren't safe with planes
overhead
"They can't go deep enough to
hide, except in dirty water. Any
where it's clear, an aviator can spot
them and then they're lost.
"In short, plane has no handi-
cap that a surface ship or subma-
rine hasn't got. and it's minus many
that they have"
"The truth is" Martin concluded,
"there's no defense against planes
not even other planes, if the at
tackers strike at night. The whole
strategy in future wars will be to
land the first blow.
"It's a cruel thing to say, but it
must knock out an unprepared. de-
fenseless enemy. Once knocked out.
it will be beyond his power to re
taliate, at any rate for long time
to come"