OUR STRENGTH IN THE AIR.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2728, 24 March 1916, Page 5

OUR STRENGTH IN THE AIR.

SHARP PASSAGE IN HOUSE OF COMMONS By Telegraph—Frees Association—Copyright London, March 22. In the House of Commons, during a discussion on the air service, Mr. Pemberton Billing (who won his by-election on tho aircraft organisation reform question) urged the amalgamation o'f the naval and military branches under one political head, so as to avoid muddlo and chaos; and also create a new force to attend to production of material' for all services. Thero was-not a reason why every .Zeppelin should not be blown im within six months. The Under-Secretary _ for War (Mr. H, J. Tennant) said it did not need strong language to impress tho Government with tho importance of the subject. It was absolutely untrue to say that we had a third-class air service. Our service , was efficient,'and had .done great work at the front, and in constant raids on enemy territory. He hotly resented Mr. Billing's, statement that some of our airmen had been murdered through tiie quality of .the machines supplied. Mr. Killing': "I repeat that I' am prepared to produce evidence which will shock the House." . ' . The subject was dropped. '

FAULTY MACHINES? QUESTION IN THE LORDS. London, March 22. The Duke of Devonshire (one of tho Civil Lords of the Admiralty), replying to Lord Beresford in the House of Lords, said there was no record of the officers- of the 'naval air service losing their lives through faulty machines, but two had been hilled while carrying out experiments.