Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-16
BRITAIN REPLACES
SHIPS WITH PLANES
England Hopes to Link Its
Empire Through Air as
1t Has by Sea.
By Radio to The Star.

By Radio to The Star.
LONDON. September 16.-while they
are glad to admit that Britain holds
both the air and land records for I'M
precedented speed, there is a large sec
ton o. public oninion here IN this
country wanting to know what good
it does.
To the ultra-Tory gentlemen basking
in the indoor sun behind the windows
OF the Athenacuna and similar reac-
tionary clubs there Is an answer, how
ever, right of the bat" even if it hap
, pens to be cricket and not a base
ball bat. To use the words of a prom
lnent industrialiSt who did not wish to
be quoted, every time Britain holds a
speed record, either on land or sea or
In the air, Or in all three, il means
thousands OF pounds Of annual bust
ness to this country's motor industry
Never foT moment are the far-see-
ing automobile manufacturers Of this
country losing sight of this factor, and
their ability to produce engines which
have enabled Britain to capture the
world air speed record over straight
course Of 357.7 by a squadron leader A.
H. Orlebar and the world automobile
speed record of 231 by Maj. Sir Henry
Segrave. The latter is even now
threatening the speed boat record of
1912 OF Gar Wood
That these speed trials are considered
worth while by astute motor engineers
and engine manufacturers of this coun-
try Is well manifest by the backing
hands. Tho reason Flying Oncer H.
r. D. Waghorn won the Schneider
| trophy blue ribbon in aviation and his
commanding officer captured the
world air speed record was not so
much the ablity-though it is a num-
Der one-of these gallant aviators or
the perfect cooperation Of meteorolo-
gists, as it was the long research of
the automobile engineers Of this coun-
try who recognized they had special
problem to solve and went ahead and
solved it.
II see no reason why the Schneider
| trophy should not be won 20 years
hence at speed of 1000 miles per
hour" This opinion was spoken slowly
| the designer of the Gloster-Napier Six
| which, although it has reached only an
approximate average speed Of 1868
miles per hour, still is looked on, since
it Is comparatively untried, as capable
Of hitting 400 So far airplane de-
| signers in conjunction with automobile
engineers have not been able TO con-
| handle, for they have demonstrated
| their ability to Withstand all the speed
| the engineers are able to give them.
Consequently, POLAND does not feel like
Jules Verne, when he predicted 1000
! miles per hour within two decades. And
| he cannot be blamed for his optimism.
The engineers of this country are shoot
ing for the time being at this mark,
| and they are quite apt to reach it be-
| fore they think they will.
In this connection, the most notable
| feature Of the Schneider trophy races
| is the ease with which these ire
| mendously powerful Fly catchers" are
handled. They fly in weather which
would have been considered impossible
| had to be taken out every five hours
| and overhauled now run Is hours with
out being stripped These are the
| marks Of the progress made in high
! speed flying in this country.
There is only one thing now prevent
ing high-speed fight from Newfound-
land to Ireland to emulate the first
direct transatlantic hop of Sir John
| Alcock and Sir Arthur Witten- Brown
the design of high-speed plane which
| will hold enough gasoline for six-hour
] flight. for the designers are convinced
| that 1900 miles can be done in this
time. Just as the British have depended
on sea power for generations. they are
| now turning to air power as the solution
for linking up their scattered domin-
ions, and it is safe to say that the
outstanding imperialists Of this coun-
| try are watching with the keenest in
terest the efforts Of motor engineers to
| put forth their product which joins the
far-dung territories with the mother
| country.
There always will be spirits in this
country loath to read the signs of the
| times, reactionaries who are jealous of
4 the entertainments of speed and the
consequent encroachment this factor
makes on vested interests" but at the
| same time. there are Missionaries who
imagine the time with the British En-
pire will be measured in minutes, not
miles, and they are laying a sure foun-
dalton for this edif1ce on the altar Of
speed with the rapidity the word
| tcopyrisht 1927