AVIATION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10291, 28 May 1919, Page 6

AVIATION

BOUNDLESS POSSIBILITIES

SIXTY’-SIX MILLIONS WANTING FOR ROYAL AIR FORCE.

Five years ago General Seely, then Minister for War, suggested to the House of Commons that Great Britain should spend a million pounds on aviation, and was evidently rather nervous as to the manner in which the members would receive his proposition. A few far-seeing enthusiasts welcomed it with open arms, but the majority ot M.P.’s viewed the proposal with dubious eyes, and seemed to think General Seely had been over-persuaded towaids extravagance by the enthusiasts aforementioned. Last month ho had another opportunity of talking to the House on aviation, and without tho blink of an eyelid asked for no less than £66,500,000 to meet the requirements of the Royal Air Force tor the ensuing year. The House —a beggarly hundred members —hadn't a. surprise wherewith to signify astonishment at the enormous sum of money they were asked to vote for one single branch of Britain’s military activities. One would have thought that with the prospect of a Budget of one thousand four million pounds staring the nation in the face, a sense of decency,-if nothing else. would have compelled something' approaching a full- muster of our £4OO a year M.P.’s to hear General Seely give his reasons for proposing to spend upon military aviation alone an amount which a matter ot ten years ago would have more than covered the cost of the entire naval and military services. It is true that of the amount suggested by the General. about 39 millions is to he allocated to what is termed “non-recur-rent -expenditure,” but the balance ot the 661 millions represents more than our total naval expenditure in 1960, and equals the total cost of our Army in 1910. . As a. matter of fact in the latter year the total amount spent upon the whole naval and military forces of Groat Britain was under, 63 millions, and in those days ,we were holding up our hands in horror at the “appalling and still growing burden of armaments.” To-day we are contemplating without any outward and visible Signs of dismay a more or less immediate expenditure of over 66 millions upon military aviation-alone, and an annual bill thereafter of about 27 millions for this branch alone of the Empire’s forces plus, perhaps, a few more millions spent by the Government in connection with civil. aviation. It is true Jtjiit a good deal of A the money spent primarily on, the military side will be of equal benefit to the civil, as, for example, the outlay on lands and buildings, aerodromes, meteorological stn tions, research, etc., but the “residue will be a formidable addition to John Bull’s armament load if tho Peace Conference fails in its great purpose of drastically reducing armament throughout the world.

. if one could shut their eyes to the financial side of the matter, General Seely’s discourse to the Commons become entirely' fascinating. It only seems as yesterday that the General, on being pressed in the House to say whether the British Army had a score of aeroplanes which would really fly, rose, bowed stiffly, and said: “On my honour, yes.” A score of aeroplanes; and last year Great Britain was building 4000 a month, and was spending £200,000,000 a year on the Royal Air Force. There were six squadrons in August, 1014; there,, were 200 when the-war stopped; and the peace establishment is to be 102 squadrons, with 5300 officers and 34,000 men. General Seely told the House that -he was adranging to publish a record .of. the work, of the Air Force during the war. It is to bo hoped that the man selected to compile the story will he entirely worthy of his . task. . In the last four years there have been between 40,000 and 50,000 das-, perate battles in the air; 8000 enemy airmen have.been shot down; 2800 of our own airmen have been reported “missing.” It is a., story for an epic. General Seely states that on Novembei 11th the British military aviators were “masters of the air,” and with him we must bow our heads in respect and admiration . for the valour .winch our young pilots exhibited in malting their contribution to the victory of the Allies. The enemy was even more thoroughly defeated in the air than he was by land, and that not in one theatre of war, but in all. This triumph was achieved, to all intents and purposes; by a new service, coming to birth after, the belligerents wore in the field.