IN THE AIR.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 May 1916, Page 5

IN THE AIR.

THE DEFENCES OF LONDON. BRITAIN'S SERVICE COMPLETE. LORD CURZON AT HEAD OF NEW BOARD. i 'Received May 18, 5.5 p.m. London, May 17. In the House of Commons, Mr. Joynson Hicks moved urging the Government to provide powerful unified air services, under a Minitser. He admitted that the .defence of London was verv efficient, but the East Coast defences should be improved. Our machines were not fast enough; r. British engine of 95 horsepower could not cope with a German 150 horse-power machine. Mr. Tennant said there had been a great improvement in the defensive. The supremacy of the air was largely ours. We had won a great majority of fights, and were habitually making more reconnaisances than the Germans had ever made. Two types of machine were faster than any German machine. Alluding to the War Inquiry Committee, Mr. Tennant declared that it was difficult to improve the constitution of the committee.

Mr. Billing attempted to intervene, hut there were loud cries of "Sit down!" and ''Shut up!" Mr. Tennant announced that Lord Curzon was president of the new War Board, which comprised two naval, three military, and one administrative members, also a Commoner and a Peer. Lord Sydenham had already been appointed to the Board's Powers Advisory Committee, with power to appeal to the War Committee if the Admiralty and War Office did not accept their recommendations.

Mr. Churchill eulogised Lord Cnrzon's appointment, and trusted that he would be given adequate powers. Hitherto the Government had lacked a policy, except the one of "Wait and see." Dealing with the earlier days of the war when he (Mr. Churchill) was respoasible, lie explained the difficulty of getting money, and he had refrained from obtaining it under the guise of other votes for the Admiralty. He alluded to the raids on Cuxhaven. C«logne, and Dusseldorf, when the British dastroyed six Zeppelins. The War Oflice, rightly, did not decide in 1014 to build airships, no one foreseeing attacks on undefended .towns. The proper course was to establish an Air Ministry.

MR. BILLING COUNTED OUT. •SCARIFIED BY MR. BONAR LAW. Keeeived May 18, 8.15 p.m, London, May 17. Tn the House of Commons, Mr. Bonar Law condemned Mr. Billing's unwillingness to appear on the air committee. Our air service, he said, was at least equal to that of any of the belligerents. Germany never possessed any machine better than ours. Out of 479 fights only 60 had occurred on the British side of the line, and in these 13 German machines but no British had been downed. Britain was turning out monthly more than the total number of pilots available at the outbreak of the war. Mr. Billing protested against the Ministers' attack. He was prepared to substantiate his charges before an expert committee, and was willing to reconsider his decision not to attend if he were allowed to be on the Council. The debate 'had an unexpected ending, the House being counted out during Mr. Billing's speech. GERMANY'S CHAMPION AIRMAN. Received May 18, 5.5 p.m. I Amsterdam, May 17. A German communique says: Immelmann downed, on May 15, an aerop>.ne near Douai. We downed an English aeroplane at Fournes and captured two officers..