“Taranaki Central Press” MONDAY, APRIL 19, 1937. AIR STRENGTH GUESSWORK.

Taranaki Central Press, 19 April 1937, Page 4

“Taranaki Central Press” MONDAY, APRIL 19, 1937. AIR STRENGTH GUESSWORK.

It is impossible to say upon what basis the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce of Ameri ca has prepared its estimate ol the military air strength of the Powers. There is a grain of comfort in the fact that Britain comes first with 4000, whatever that figure may represent, and France, Britain’s old ally, second with 3600. Russia is credited with 3400, Italy with 3200, Germany with 3 000, the United States with 2200 and Japan with 2000. But what can these figures mean? They may have a rough relationship in Britain’s case to the generally accepted figure of I 750 first-line machines, plus one reserve ’plane and one training ’plane, which are supposed to be behind every first-line ’plane. But the enormous significance of aircraft in a major war has induced the nations to surround their air strength figures with the greatest secrecy, and they all have individual methods of computing their numbers. AH that is known is that almost every European countr yis pushing aircraft construction to the utmost limit, and English factories are refusing commercial orders. Germany is able to multiply her output of her air factories rapidly in absolute secrecy and can readily adapt her commercial aircraft to military purposes. Britain’s feverish activity, it may be assumed, has been forced upon her in honouring the abliga tion given by Mr. Baldwin at the end of 1934 that “the Government was determined under no condition to accept any position of inferiority in regard to whatever air force might be raised in Germany in the future.’’ Unfortunately the enormous target that is offered by Londorf makes Britain doubly vulnerable from the air and creates the necessity for alliances suitable to her new air boundaries. The strength of the air force, indeed, is of as great national importance as the strength of the navy used to be. Unfortunately, aerial armament has two unusually sinister features; it is comparatively cheap and certainly very rapid in its development, and it can be carri ed out secretly in a manner that forces even the peace-loving nati ons to err, if at all, on the side of large air fleets.