AIR PROBLEMS

Hokitika Guardian, 26 October 1928, Page 5

AIR PROBLEMS

ADDRESS ON AVIATION

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, Oct. 25 (Received this day at 1.30 p.m.)

Sir R. Horne, Secretary for Air delivered an address on Aviation in the British Empire before the Royal Geographical Society of Scotland. Dealing with the problems which the invention of aviation created for the British Empire, he said we went into war in wealth and power completely immune from invasion. We came out of it victorious indeed, but without capital. We were now more open by reason of this new invention to foreign attack than any of the great capitals of Western Europe. Year by year we must give our minds and money to building up an air force strong enough to deter any would-be enemy from attacking. He was glad to think that while years ago there were practically no air force squadrons available in this country for home defence, there were now 30 squadrons, out of -52 that were being formed.

Aviation had imposed upon British taxpayers a new form in expenditure on armaments at the very time when we wished to reduce over the .whole world, the burden, of armaments;. How could we find some advantage from flying to set off' against this liability. Five years experience in this Air Ministry had impressed upon him the only way wherein liability could be counter-balanced was by making the fullest possible .use of the unique power of mobility of the aeroplane for effecting economies in Imperial defence., developing communications and' resources of the scattered-Empire. There were certain fields of Imperial defence where an air force wing could economically be used as a substitute for older military forces rather than as a supplement to them. • A conspicuous instance of this policy was the case of Iraq, where we had been able to reduce the garrison which in 1921 comprised 233 imperial battalions costing over £20,000,000 yearly, to five squadrons.

The Royal Air Force without a single Imperial battalion in support, was costing less than £2,000,000. A single squadron of the air force had forced Iman of Yemen, who had for 4 years encroached upon Aden Protectorate to leave and release sheikhs friendly to the British whom he had kidnapped. In Somaliland aeroplanes had in a few weeks removed a constant danger of Mullahs risings, and on- the northwest frontier of India, with practically no casualties on either side, peace had been imposed upon uni'uly tribes by British airmen.

He foresaw the time when air power, like sea power, would he on two or three strategic points '.'off the Empire and when units'instead of being tied down to local defence would be freely moved from one threatened point to another. Such a policy presupposed the closest possible liaison between air forces- of the Empire. Dealing with aviation as a means of improving Imperial communication he said that early next year a regular aeroplane service would be running every week between London and Karachi. , Another great trunk aeroplane service was - projected between London and Capetown. He was daily expecting detailed proposals which would enable him to judge whether the creation of this service was possible. In regard. to airships he believed they could he used for eliminating two-thirds of the time now spent in journeys between London an ie capitals of the Empire. That was a justification of the programme under which for the last three years the Air Ministry had been engaged upon design and construction of two great airships. He anticipated a success of the experiment, and the Dominion Governments were co-operating and also believing in its success.