The Washington times., 1926-03-22

when Mussolini assumed the reins
lof power about three years ago
italy had about ESQ poor, obsolete
airnlanes. Now they have 1,50O
modern fighting aircraft which
gives Italy courage and q high
morale in dealing with her neigh
bors. which would be impossible
under other circumstances.
Turkey has a ministry of ma
tional defense, including all the
war making power
Russia has what amounts to q
ministry of national defense, called
the military committee. IT has 3.
united and separate air force, dis
Etinct from the army and navy.
Russia's great effort now Is ~
develop her air power. Bounded
as her country Is toward Europe
by mountains opposite Austria, By
swamps opposite Poland, and think
ing before many years have passed
she will have an armed contest
with the nations In the western
part of Europe, she is organizing
her air power to strike direct at
their great cities and nerve CEN
tiers. Word has gone out among
all the Russians that the future
power of Russie lies in the air,
accordingly her flying personnel
are being increased and constant
" made more efficient. Heliun,
the gas that will not burn, useG
for balloons and airships of which
the United States has always
thought It had q monopoly, has
been discovered in Eastern Siberia.
Russia Aiding Engineers
Nowhere else in the world, ut
the present time, are aeronautical
engineers given more freedom to
develop new ideas or more encour.
agement in their work than in
Russia. Russian minds have al
ways been very creative with re-
spect to all kinds of engineering,
and one may rest assured that sue
|cess win crown their efforts. Rus
STA. it must be remembered, has
property opposite our own Pacific
coast and Alaska. and It was Rus
|sia that once invaded Alaska, owned
1t. and had pushed her settlements
clear down into California, almost
to where San Francisco stands to-
day. Invasion OF the western part
OF this country by Russian air
power Is both possible and prac-
ticabIe.
The other great country that lies
across the Pacific from us and
which also Is not very far from
Alaska, is japan. That country
began feverish development Of
her air power as soon as she be-
came convinced Of its value in milf
tary operations She imported the
best engineers and instructors from
England and France, to teach her
people. She obtained the best
types Of airplanes to put into the
hands of her airmen. and manu-
featured them in her own factories.
One often hears that Japan is
merely q copper. but this is BY no
means the whole truth.
Far Eastern Combination
Japan not only copies, but inn
proves. She has excellent me.
chanics and fine artisans, and her
aircraft are as good as those Of
any other country in the world 1T
is true that they are q little more
costly. because the materials of
which they are made have to be
4
great measure. This disadvantage,
however, is compensated for by her
will to accomplish great results in
the air. knowing as she does tina.
the future safety of the country de-
ponds on it. The Japanese are or
ganizing an air force which In .eally
separate and distinct from the
army. although 1t is still attached
-. r.
Is taking place in Japan, now. look
ing TO the creation OF ministry
of aeronautics.
Japan has established her air
ways through Formosa to within
zoo miles of the Philippine Islands.
She has succession of islands over
which she can fly to within about
30 miles of Guam, and another
string which leads north from the
main group clear up to Kamchatka
which Is directly opposite our own
territory OF Alaska. Recently. her
pilots have flown through Siberia
and Russia to the countries Of
Western Europe. Her air devotion.
ment is proceeding as fast as her
sea development did generation
ago. Not long ago she reduced her
army by two whole divisions or
about $4,000 men, and has used the
money saved from this to nu+ into
aviation INV
A combination Of Russian and
japanese air power in the Pacific
against the United States would
present very serious situation
Ger1many's Civil Air Force
From this short survey of world
aeronautic conditions, we see that
every country OF any major irnnort.
ance, and even some of the smaller
countries have not mentioned
nave made separate and distinct
activity out Of their aviation an.
tirely apart from the development
or their armies on land and thair
navies on the water. Hitched I'm
with this development of rnilitarv
aviation goes its commercial avia.
ton carrying passengers and
freight, which will be the future
means of rapid transportation over
the whole earth and which can he
transformed instantly into a mill.
tary asset.
Even Germany, which is prohibit
ed by the treaty of Versailles from
building military aircraft, has de.
veloped tremendous civil aviation
for transport purposes, carrying
passengers and freight all over
Europe. Although these airplanes
| are not supposed to be for military
| service, they could be loaded up
| over night with gas bombs and
other chemical weapons and infIict
! a staggering blow against Paris or
London. Most of Gerinany's dye