AIRSHIP FLEET.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 August 1917, Page 5

AIRSHIP FLEET.

USE AIR BOARD'S GREAT GKAMME.

' London, July 25, I The great increase in the air Activity on the various fronts has been fallowed by an announcement in the Daily Mai) giving the outline of the Air Board'# plans for aeroplane construction, "vrjhigli is of importance and interest. It reveals the fact that the Government ,it organising the air-eonstrqction policy on a scale commensurate with'Mr Lloyd ' George's shell-production campaign fax 1915. The effect of the shell production was abundantly seen in thq". Arras, Vimy, and Mesaines battles, The organisers of the British air Herts spent the last six months eliminating inferior designs, finding the b«st> anl. concentrating upon them; searching fgc material; placing contracts for supplies, even two yv&M ahead, continually look-* ing forward, and making ready for vli> tory.

The Daily Mail states that fro* to-day the output will become the chiel and the greatest consideration. Bacperi- ' meats will bo continued. Progres&h«# been made in designs, but neither tint, hope for perfection nor the call for ia£' provement will be allowed to interfere with the creation of great, active wonting fleets, standardised to accepted pert* •iexns, which will 'be utilised m proviij diiies of success. The Daily Mail's special corteftpaq* dent, after talking with leading men ■liind the air fleet's supplies, says:. "Ttjt future of this country and of the Alßef rests in the hands of the men wh<> ato Buifding and using the allies' air fleets ''lie war must end for good Or ill tn , .the air. If the nation stands behind tftsi ac)k- nianuaoth j>itu»s, all will be Vfrs sliaiJl rise £o a power of grejft length. Gfwnany will fall lower frn|' lower, until she erashos to the graibia in disorder, a helpless wreck, , "The vast new plans haw been a di£S« cult to prepare, as .they are cdupJod : with the necessity for 'keeping up t)iß\ Supplies of aircraft on every front; bat r organiser informed mC: 'Thank "<SU><y We've done it without letting these hoyt'. down. They have had thwr jnachiuej the front.' _ "Were we now at peace with th» .world, with all the markets and gealr, (open to us, the programme of theiM#'! :sountrusi*lon would ho difficult to cm?®, put. Sl'o war industry requires so WSJ, and sueh varied elements as the buuml.4. 1 f active of aircraft. The requirement* of our air fleets are so vast that a yes*%<" j output of Honduras mahogany is lAsnW t ficifeut. The air industry stodd at ft tosf - ebb at the commencement of the now, after three years, wo resembled > (trained wan ready tb run a rayp, (Chi thfcf of experiment ftujJU trial is oyer; tJaj mojuent of: achievement has come. "In this new and tremendous effort/' America and Canada will participate Sn' an important degree, supplying «ud» 'vast quantities of ray material. £W test even America's, wonderful resources. The only question is, Will British iqUr power be equal to the new task? 'it will require the highest degree ot courage to decide between the conflicting claims of the great national and war industries and' the air. If such a taski is difficult for the Allies, with open scan c.nd the resources of America, and of the Empire available to find sufficient mate-, vial to carry out the new mammoth pro* gramme, it would be even more djfflcuH.- i >r the Central Empires. They will hj» l«rd put to Jt for crjift to mert t,hM great air fleets from the British jajtorjqs next vear. if neither labour trouble* nor shortage-of material- compromise British plans, 1918 tjhould see tho Allies dominating the German lines with a4s .fleets bringing victpry." ./