OUR BRAVE LADS AND "THE DAY."

Taranaki Daily News, 10 April 1916, Page 8

OUR BRAVE LADS AND "THE DAY."

Thorp is nothing so engrossihgly interesting and nothing so thvillingly romantic as the work of aeroplanes, whether working singly or in great flocks. Notwithstanding what may have been said to tlic contrary, the war work of the Allied 'planes in the great struggle iias been of a magnificent character, embracing skill and daring of a very high order. Any claim by Germany of the superiority of German machines or airmen must be taken very largely with a grain of salt. Xo men could be braver and. for the most part, more skilful than the Allied airmen. The assertion made on behalf of the German Fokker "plane, as to its eminence amongst the 'planes of the world, may be taken for what it is worth, but in view of the reticence of the Allied nations, particularly the British, on the air arm of the service, as to the powers and perection of their, flying machines, it is better to suspend judgment until something more convincing than bare assertion can be adduced to bear out the claim made for superiority of the "Fokker." When the Allied 'planes are working anywhere, but more especially on the Western front, our men in the trenches are treated to a form of entertainment they delight in hugely, and when any enemy ''bird" is winged or brought to terra firma, their delight knows no bound. Are the enemy 'planes 'brought down frequently! It is sufficient to say that they are brought down more often than is relished by our opponents. A flight of aeroplanes engaged on a serious undertaking of military importance is something the ordinary individual is not permUted to experience, but a lively imagination can more or less visualise it. Imagine a huge flight o f machines converging, say, on the heart of Taranaki, at Stratford—big 'planes and smaller swift monoplanes, 'living swifter than a swallow and as 'graceful as a frigate bird. They are coming in. north., south, east and west. While in the distance a droning noise is heard. and as.they approach closer the noise is increased until when close in there is a roar of racing engines. What would occasion such a flight on the heart of Taranaki? It could only be to bring huge .crowds in honor of Soldiers' Day on Kaster Monday. Don't, stop reading here, on the peril of your life. As, however, plane; are not available for the purpose, the people of Taranaki will go to Stratford in huge numbers by trains at excursion rates, by motor-cars and vehicles of all kinds. All roads lead to Stratford on "The Tinx." Our brave i wounded lads have done their duty: be I sure you do yours by patronising the great carnival on Easter .Monday.