AERIAL DEFENCE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9139, 15 July 1908, Page 4

AERIAL DEFENCE.

The progress made during the last few years in the construction of airships is almost amazing, and future developments in the science of navigating the air are likely to prove still more astonishing. The real advance dates from the period when scientists and mechanics of genius came to the conclusion that the only possible solution of true navigation of the air lay in heavier than air contrivances. It is in warfare that the influence of the air-ship will be most felt. Great hopes were held out for the balloon as an assistance in time of warfare, but now all interest will be centred in the air-ship, for it has reached the stage of proficiency when it must be regarded seriously by every nation having pretensions to modern warfare. Germany is apparently taking toe lead in the matter, and it is announced that she will shortly possess six dirigible air-ships, including two Zeppelins, and if Count Zeppelin succeeds in making a twenty-four hours' flight, twelve similar ships will be ordered, in order to protect the North Sea Coast. These important developments on Gei-many's part will probably have the'effect of bringing out what England is doing in aerial navigation Major F. S. Baden-Powell declares that national safety requires the immediate allocation of £IOO,OOO for aerial research, and aerial warships The effect of this officer's utterance and Germany's bold move towards establishing a fleet of aerial warships will be awaited with interest by the whole civilised world.