WAR IN THE AIR.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 722, 22 January 1910, Page 13

WAR IN THE AIR.

LORD ROBErtTS'S APPEAL' TO THE ■ ; :.:/ ■.7,../-'/ : NATION- v; ; ,'■■ .;;•/' "v

; ;/ : V*..'-'' ■ A etirrißg appeal, to the nation' to ■ wake up" to; the. possibilities of aerial warfare wairmade by Lord Eoberts- at Service re:; went straight to the' point-, 'fWo f?7- d< ? e ' m <&',u>- England,"' he ?"?;,:• .Wβ have been waiting to' profit by the experience: of other,: people. But tie.time ,nas coine. to work-ourselves. In the next war aerial machines may be of toe utmost rvalue.'... '.: : ■-.':;. -. ■■... .'■ We hear every |day..of /aeroplanes' fiy,wg. higher and-higher, and of .airahips travelling farther:jand farther.; What is being, done ■in Germany/for instance, with airships may be/,regarded as start--lingi But, we are so strangely apathetic I am very, anxious ' that the country/ should; wake up to the necessity of doing, bur; utmost to peueoc , Ui«se' iienar .machines/ ■'■■ : -' ..-■ ..;-/..'■■• ; - ,-- / -.-■■•■, ;/-

. _''It seems. to me that; it is the : valour of ignorance which:is.pervading.the whole' country/in connection with this question of-. aviation. / People, are.... apathetic .because/they do not believo. They are bravo: and confident because, thoy' do' not know what.is going on in improving Hying machines. ■ The country, must indeed ■wake up. : People.would not be,quite bo brave:i£/they,knew, what'may b<S:in store for them if . they- do: not. bestir themselves.", '•■-■. ■'■'"■ .-■ ■■;■'...-.' \:/:-/ - - ■;,'.■-.-,

■/Major.' Baden-Powell'-'pictured- aerial oavalxy of. the . future—men mounted 'on light aeroplanes, ;liko'.that.invented .-.by. Santos-Dumont, and' skimming over hedges and. ditches on these machines instead of riding horses.. ; /;.- Z , - :;:>.-: ,/

,: gave his hearers;some''idea of an aerial battle between two big' airship)., It would be a struggle for-height. The'airship which,got directly above the other and fired .down: upon-it,,or dropped bombs or/.' , barbed darts' upon- its ; frail fabric, , would be the victor. "■-,-.. '..::,

' '■'.";./•;' v. Aeroplane.; ■ ,^-./. '■",':> '■The fight 'between an , aeroplane : and.its more' plumsy ■ rival the, airship , was ■ also pictured.:: One gained, an- impression' of tho swifter, smaller : craft':, manoeuvring round : the airship," its "crew" lurkingbehind armoured sqreens and.pourihg a hgt rifle fire ;upon those on; the; airship's long platform. . "It":will be like-a hawk and a heron fighting," ..said ;Major 'Badon>' j.Powell.-.,,: And.,then,' there ivas;,'the.' fight' between two. aeroplanes, both' swift; and ! readily':: handled; sweeping' round "■ and round each ;olhor,, riddling■':- each■'•.other, .•with".'rifle-.''and maohine-gun fire.: ■■' .. .'■' I?- AtVnight .-' time ;; in , '/future, -airships' hovering■ over, an:enemy's.'country^would' i-l ry , to eor bTt ¥ lignts ; "of towns, Major' Baden-Powell, pointed out;: Therefore, the I lights- everywhere would be extinguished , and. citieswould.be. plunged-: in-voluntary darkness, i Then one had a glimpse of the generalof- the future on ■ the. battlefield, .jumping inuiau aeroplane and soaring high aloft to get a: bird's-eye view of the positions of. tho.:iroops,. and of an admiral pending an; aerial craft up to an immense j'altitude, to: hover like a: bird- ! and,kepp watch for : the"appearance'of,-'"'.;eneniy,.V The-fort-of th«i'-future';V. i also ,pio- ; tured,' armed' not only for Vattaok : from': land ..and sea,, but' from : - the clouds : as 'well.:: -Around: its' .walls, 'pointing' skywards, ;would be,Jong guns, .each -with:arange of. five' miles ,and:> with gunnersi eagerly jori .the look-out for .some cruiser of,;.the clouds. , '■'■ In v the-, darkness: great searchlights', .would pierce the.'sky' in : ceaseless search'. for an <nemy. : : ■'.' '. - : -•Major Badpn-Powell showed-how anair.snip . stealing - over- an ' enemy's". country could-land: a'party;-of men totenr up a railway : line, [, destroy ■'■■/a'' gun factory,'! blow up; a. powder magazine, wreck a convoy of.'stores, or. raise telegraph' offices to the ground., .'-.■■■ { .■" . ■ ':;■, ■■ ..;-:, .-.. ,:

•The: speaker .saw the' time comingwhen "ght,y.swift, : aeroplanes, such', as- that upon : which Bleriqt S« the- Channel, would be used, not in hundreds, but .in thousands, for the transport of. troops. Hβ.' spoke of air ships capable of * carrying a hundred'men. r . '•■ .-• •"■'.'..• "■ ■..-•■

I Official .Reply.,;-■ -..-."'.''■;. ':■'..'/.: ■'■\:'i ■ are, : unperturbed . ; by 'Lord. Roberts's speech,. and the followingmay .'.be taken 'as the'official attitude on ™J,™«l« question of aerial warfare.' ■ : Ihe Admiralty, and the. War Office' - are perfectly .aware of- what is being done abroad. Both Departments are aware of the latest advances made' and see' no rea.sod to believe that, this country is' falling' btfhind.'"■-.'■ ■■ ■;.■■-, ■■:.-..■ ■: ." - /':;:, ■' ■;'.. In England there exists; the special de. partment at Teddington to. which general advice on the scientific problems, arising in.:- connection with tho work of the Admiralty andi-War Office in 'aeriaUconstruotion and navigation is famished by a committee consisting of Lord Ravlebh ' president; Dr.-H. T. Glazebrook, chairl man; Major-General Sir Charles Hadden Sir ; A. •H. Greenhill, Dr. W;, N. Shaw i r i" Horace: Darwin, Mr.,.H. R.', A. iMallock, Professor J. E. Petavel, and Mr. I , W- Lan9hester. .-. '.- :.■.;■ ■•'. :' .-.■-■■■ - The' Admiralty , and Messrs. . vickersj sons,.-.and. Maxim are busy building, an airship at Barrow, and the War Office have the use. of the Hon. C. S. Rolls's ■D-? g neroplane a' Shollbcach. Lord 5°^ rts f? k « s no notice of. theso,facts. Neither the.'War Office.nor the Admiralty aro prepared, to spend thousands of pounds on- oyery : mabhine whose' inventor says is going to, rerolutioniso aerial warfare. .; ;. ,-' : --. : ".''--..-■...■ ■-. v- : .-•.-•