Evening star., 1926-11-07
THE WORLDS WINGS
IlI-Lame Ducks and Eagles
ESS than five years ago Germany was
the lame duck of the air. In all the
realm Of aviation she seemed the most
A AIyffa rFinnod

7 ESs than five years ago Germany
the lame duck" of the air. In all the
realm of aviation she seemed the most
IL crippled nation. A futtering. crippled
mate was Soviet Russia.
Today Germany leads all the world in COM
mercial plane service. the carrying of freight,
passengers and mail. Her government subsi-
dies such plane utilities. Europe altogether has
some 10000 miles of sky passenger routes; the
United States can boast of none. Germany con-
tributes vastly TO the European record.
Soviet Russia. unrecognized diplomatically
and commercially by part of the world. In
Guiding the United States. is carrying on in
aviation from the viewpoint of both commerce
and ational defense. 1t is difficult to estimate
how far Russia has progressed in the utilization
of the airplane-but it is ahead OF America
On May ). 1922, the work OF disarming Ger
many in the air officially ended, and the Allied
Commission Of Aeronautics Control ceased to
exist. 1t was then that the world looked upon
Germany as an aerial "lame duck After Janu-
ary 1920. when Gen. Masterton arrived in Ger
many, this allied commission destroyed 14,SOO
airpanes and dealt with some $4,000 engines.
some of which were turned over to the allies;
but the majority were scrapped.
The allies also received from Germany six
great airships, and one dirigible was construct
ed for and delivered to this government
y X
At the time Of the armstice. with Germany
conquered, 1t became necessary for France t"
determine what aerona utlcal policy she would
pursue. Immedia tey after the close of hostlll-
ties the rehabilitation of all branches of the
army was pushed actively. But Germany, still
denying military defeat. ever seeking channel
to escape obligations imposed by the treaty of
peace, caused France to act with prudence.
There were two policies which France could
pursue from aeronautical standpoint: The
all-fight formations. entailing thereby An
admission that Germany was disarmed and
acting in good faith in the execution Of the
treaty provisions. The second policy was
ased upon the assumption that Germany was
a potential aggressor whose superior weight
in population alone made caution advisa BILE;
hence it seemed imperative that France
should assure her security. 1t was
the second solution which France adopted
and with sound forethought and wisdom. Ger
many quickly reached the conclusion that she
could we'll afford to do without her large stand
ing army of old. With feversh energy she
has been devoting her concentrated efforts to
aircraft. research and experimental work and
developing superpower airplanes
The present program of France calls for
the building and equippns Of airpla rfes At a
rate which gives her 800 squadrons of military
airplan nes a very formida BILE force. France is
not doing this with view to conquering
Europe: France is not belligerent nation. She
is doing it beca she is possessed by a fear
a fear which is not groundiess-that she will
sooner or later face Germany i'll air conflict.
II has been an open secret that Germany has
heen building all the metal pla nes for Russia
The construction has been under the protec-
ton of the Soviet government. but the planes
have been built mainly by Germans. will be
equipped by Germans, and, most observers be