British Air Preparations

Hokitika Guardian, 29 July 1922, Page 3

British Air Preparations

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION. LONDON, July 27. In the House of Lords, Lord Gorell said that nothing that their land or setts forces could do could prevent a menace from the air. The Committee on Imperial Defence were investigating the while subject. They would shortly report whether the situation demanded the provision of more machinery and more expenditure. There now were 30 and half air squadrons .20 of which were serving overseas. The navy had 358 machines. The army had 111 more, in addition to 60 held as ft first reserve, and six for field training. Lord Londonderry asked whether the Government was aware of tbe nation’s anxiety regarding the Allied deficiencies in the air service. He said a serious menace wa s threatening the country from the air. Lord Long said he believes that Britain was spending more, proportionately. than other countries on her air services, but she was not achieving anything like adequate protection, notably in. the direction of providing fighting machines. Lord Gorell, replying, said be welcomed the increasing public attention to the question of their air power. He said as far as he could estimate now. a separate Air Ministry would he less costly than a. separate Naval .Ministry of the Air Services Undoubtedly there was a great potential air menace ,to -Britain. Probably, if war

came, there would be continuous air raids on tlieir docks, factories, food depots, and mobilisation places, which would demand a revision of tbe older ideas and methods. A spirited controversy continued relative to the value set, on air craft aeroplanes. It was accentuated by Colonel Amerv’s statement, when, replying to a question in the House of Commons, that so far as the Admiralty is aware, no navy posseses an aeroplane capable of sinking a capital ship by a bomb or a torpedo. The Daily News says tlie position taken up by the State Air Service advocates is:—“Give us a battleship and we shall be delighted to sink her m a few moments, but there is no battleship nt our disposal for tbe purpose of experimental destruction. The News instances the case of the German 28,000 toimer “Osterneslnnd ’ which was sunk by two bombs, each of 2000 pounds weight, which were dropped alongside her. and exploded several feet below the surface of the water. ______