WAR GIFT AEROPLANES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 57, 4 October 1916, Page 3

WAR GIFT AEROPLANES.

[To Thh, Editor Stratford Post.) Sir,—When wo road of the events that arc taking place in this awful world-war, and the terrible cost is brought home so forcibly to ns by the receipt of our long casualty lists, it is lifting that we should think if wo can in any way help to lessen those losses by providing 4 equipment to place us in a position of superiority over our enemies, legnrding the knowledge of the movements of troops and thus lessening their powers of hitting our men. It is now generally admitted that in order to secure the greatest immunity from the danger of hostile attack, both on sea and land, the possession of strong air flotillas is an absolute essential, and the possessing the superiority in this branch is better placed, both to strike the enemy and to protect its troops from being struck than its opponent, and thus to ensure itself victory. We know’ that the enemy is bending every pfewer and straining every effort to secure a sufficient ascendancy in the air to enable them to inflict the most horrible punishment on England especially, and we know also that England has made and is making tremendous efforts and almost unthinkable expenditure in order to successfully ward off the attacks which she knows will be, and, even now, are being made.

To assist our people in England, our own kith and kin, to protect adequately their homes and the lives of their children and womenfolk, the members of the Overseas Club in almost every part of the world are contributing, through the Club towards the purchase of ’ aircraft for presentation to the' Royal Flying Corps, and have already enabled the Overseas Club to present just on aeroplanes to the Imperial Government. New Zealand has presented three of these, and it surely would be fitting that Taranaki, a district that has benefitted probably more than any other in New Zealand by Euglaiul’s Supremacy of the Seas, should contribute her share towards lit maintaining of that supremacy which is admitted by experts to depend largely now lippn ascendancy in the Air Service. ■ What would he the value of our produce, if by any mischance we should lose our supremacy on the seas? Surely then it is only a business proposition, even if we have no higher motive, that we. should contribute as an “insurance fund” to provide adequate protection to oni sea-bbrne produce and to! the gallant boys who are doing more than “their bit” to protect ns and ours.

The conditions under which the aeroplanes are given, are that the aeroplane may be named, if so desired, after the district which presents it, that in the event of it being destroyed in any way it is leplacod by the Army Council and still bears the name of the district from which it was presented so that it becomes a lasting memorial of the pari that district has taken in the war in the matter of providing eyes for the Navy and Army wherewith to spy out and smite the enemy. The cost of the machines are £ISOO for a 71)

b.p. Renault B E., 2 C and £2,250 for a 100 b.p. Gnome, Vickers’ Gun Biplane,'complete with gun. Ibe Overseas Club hope to bring the number of machines presented to the Royal Flying Corps up to 100 at least by the end of the year and "Inti, could be more fitting than one should come from Taranaki P Sir, wc would he glad of your valued assistance towards this end and hope yon will open a subscription list at y«nr office where sympathisers may pay whatever they can afford to the fund. All monies contributed to the fund will he forwarded, free of any cost, to the headquarters of the Overseas Club in London and we earnestly hope , and confidently expect that by the end of the year Taranaki will be represented by its own aeroplane in the Royal Flving Corps.—l am, etc., GEO. H. BUCKERIOGE, President, Overseas" Club, Eltham.