INVASION BY AEROPLANE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 11, 6 February 1909, Page 5

INVASION BY AEROPLANE.

DUKE OF ARGYLL'S ALARM. Loudon, December 11

A warning note to this country against its " sleepy " attitude towards the momentous question of aerial flight, particularly ill its relation to a possible invasion froul the clouds, was sounded at the Aero Club dinner last night by the Duke of Argyll. The time for considering Mights ill tiie air as merely a pleasant excursion of champagning in the clouds, he said, had been changed, at all events by some writers, to campaigning in the clouds. " Althuugh there au so many possibilities with regard t., me development of both the dirigible balloon and the aeroplane, it has already been demonstrated beyond question that no country nowadays may lie said to possess a frontier," declared' his grace. " All are liable to be overlooked and spied upon from the sky. j

" I am told that one of these dirigible balloons can lift into the air and carry a weight of IMHh or 14001b. One can imagine that such a machine suspended with punitive intent over a great commercial city might make itself extreine■lv disagreeable. '"The best thing that could happen,' the duke added, " would be for someone —preferably a German, a Frenchman or aal American —to cause one of these large dirigible balloons to Jiang f a time straight oyer the Bank of l-.tig-land. It would cause wonderful excitement and bring home forcibly to the people the fact that we can no longer keep England entirely to ourselves. Specially-trained men are evidently necessary to. watch the dirigible balloons and aeroplanes. A vital necessity ha» surely arisen for us to have sncli men under training in England." "Permanent suctess in the neriel pioIdem lies undoubtedly with the aeroDlnne," said Mr Roger Wallace K.C., president of the club. He made tlie interesting announcement that the Aero Club has just arranged with the lekers Maxim Company for the use of a trial mound where practical flights with aeiojilanes could shortly lie essayed.