Evening star., 1935-09-08

in the opinion of military observers
here. The working out Of problems
of supplying and basing lombard
ment and observation squadrons in a
desolate and hostile country, however,
Is expected to be of Importance to all
air powers.
Launch Attack From North.
Correspondents in the Italian
colony of Eritrea and in Ethiopia have
reported their belief that the Italian
Army. now massing In Eritrea, to the
north Of Ethiopia. will launch an at
tack against Adds Ababa from the
north. Should this be the case the
advance will be through savsgely
broken and immensely difficult country
and the lines Of communication will
be hard to maintain and very
susceptible to guerrilla attacks.
The difficulty of maintaining COM
munications and supply routes and
the reported massing Of Italian avia-
ton on the Ethiopian border has led
to a belief that If the Italian attack
is pushed from Eritrea much of the
service Of supply will be undertaken
by air. Such an operation would pro-
vide lessons for every modern air
power.
Because Of the difficult character
Of the country between Eritrea and
Adds Ababa, however. many military
experts here are inclined to believe
that Italy. despite its massing of
troops in Eritrea, does not intend to
push its main attack from that colony,
but rather from Italian Somaliland,
to the southeast of Ethiopia.
See Attack Against Adowa.
They believe that Italy will deal
a smashing blow from Eritrea against
Adowa to avenge the Italian defeat
there nearly 40 years ago and then
will Immediately transfer its invad-
ing columns to Somaliland and strike
by way Of Walwal through the Prov
ince of Ogaden. Such a drive would
be through desert country in which
lack Of water would prove a serious
embarrassment. Tanks and motor
transport can cross this country, how
ever, by a number Of routes. it is
said, making it much more suitable
for a successful campaign than the
northern country. Air transport also
can be employed to great advantage
in Ogaden, military observers believe.
Another advantage of the southern
route, it was pointed out, is that an
invading column could strike the line
of the railroad from the Gulf Of Alden
to Adds Ababa in the vicinity of
Harar or Matehara and push an at
tack along the railroad toward the
Ethiopian capital.
Two Of the Nations largest air
transport lines today are working on
the development of substratosphere
and stratosphere flying as a step
toward tremendously increased air
transport speeds. The trend toward
transport operations at great attitudes
has become noticeable in all parts Of
the country during the last two years
and it is not at all uncommon today
for airliners to climb to attitudes Of
two and one-half to three miles tt
seek advantageous winds or to climb
out of storms and rough air.
Experience of the Army and Navy
in military flying at extreme altitude:
and Of stratosphere balloon flyers ha!
contributed greatly to mans store o.
knowledge of the problems which mus
be faced and overcome if transpor
airplanes are to be operated in th'
lower reaches Of the stratosphere.
One Of the most famous of all all
transport planes, the Transcontinenta
& Western Air No. 800, first of the
Douglas high-speed airliners anC
holder Of nine world airplane records
and an even larger number of ma
tional records, is being used as &
"substratosphere laboratory" In &
continuation Of tests started month!
ago. No. 300 Is being flown almoSt
daily to high attitudes in search o.
additional information which may b
applied to flight equipment of the
future for travel far above the earth
T. w. A. officials have announced.
The high altitude tests are being
conducted by D. w. Tomlinson, whit
flew the ship on virtually all of it!
record flights. The tests are beinl
conducted under the immediate SUI
pervision of Jack Frye, veteran pilo
and president of the airline, whit
believes that air travel Of the futur,
will lie in those quiet and storm
less strata above the earth, which
men term the substratosphere ant
stratosphere."
During one of his recent test flight
from Kansas City, Tomlinson, will
two crew members aboard, full fue
and oil tanks and sufficient sant
ballast to make up gross load o
more than $4,000 pounds, took of
and climbed to 26,300 feet, or miles
The ship was leveled of for speet
tests at various attitudes. Although
the ground temperature at the tim
was nearly 100 degrees, Tomlinsoi
climbed into a temperature Of de
grees below zero. Frost gathered OF
the windows and fine snow driftet
in through cracks at the edges o
the windshield as he few instrumen
courses through towering thunder
heads.
Some day, Frye believes, air trav'
elers will be flying in the Creates
comfort at even higher attitudes. Tit
noise within cabins will be reduced
to the level of q quiet office through
the heavier cabin structure necessary
to withstand the supercharged pressure
within the planes. :,
"It's going to be like sitting II
grandma's old rocking chair so far a.
comfort for all on board is concerned,
Frye said.
Similar experimental work D!
American Airlines has been described
BY c. r. Smith, president of that air
line. Smith predicts that airmai
planes soon will be crossing th'
United States at extreme altitude
and that within five years passengel
airplanes will be operating from coas
to coast in nine hours or less.
He believes that air transport de