The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, January 19, 1909. SIR H. MAXIM'S PROPHECY.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 449, 19 January 1909, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, January 19, 1909. SIR H. MAXIM'S PROPHECY.

Sir Hiram Maxim declared recently, as we learned by cable, that the aeroplane, even in its present imperfect state, was a very efficient military weapon. The occasion was a lecture at the Society of Arts by Mr Stuart Bruce on Mechanical flight. During the discussion Sir Hiram said “ The Wright machine, with only a very little improvement, would be a very efficient military weapon. Does anyone doubt for a single moment that in case we find ourselves at war with a strong Continental Power that such machines would not be used lor bombarding English towns from the Continent ? A French engineer, who is in a position to know and who has a thorough grasp of the subject, informed me only a short time ago that within one year a machine would be made in France that would fly from Paris to London without stopping. Such machines are certainly in the range of the possibe, and when they come Loudon can be attacked without encountering the dreaded British Navy. There is only one means of combating the danger, and that is to make flying machines ourselves. The discovery of gun-powder made a complete change in civilised warfare, but the change did not take place quickly, because guns at that time were difficult to make with the tools and appliances in existence. But at the present moment the tools and appliances are at hand, and the change will be quite as radical and a great deal quicker than it was on the discovery of gunpowder. Vast sums of money will be paid by Governments in the immediate future for military flying machines, and an opportunity is now presented to wealthy men such as only occurs once in a century. I have recently made drawings of an extremely light and powerful motor which will be much lighter for the power developed than any motor heretofore made, and still have a fair factor of safety. This is accomplished by using an especially strong steel and putting it where it would do the most good. It would appear to me that it would be a relatively simple matter to build successful flying machines at the present moment, and a great deal of experimenting is not necessary. I am no longer a young man,” said Sir Hiram in conclusion, “but a very active old man, still able to do an immense amount of work, and I am ready to put my shoulder to the wheel and do my best to put the country at least abreast of any other country in the new science.”