A LESSON FROM FRANCE.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 158, 4 July 1916, Page 4

A LESSON FROM FRANCE.

Tn commenting some time ago on the hysterical attacks on the British Government in regard to the air defences, we pointed out that though French methods had been held up to the admiration of the English people, Zeppelins had raided Paris and escaped. The parallel between the air services in England and France, however, turns out to be much closer than this, and the following circumstances may be commended to those who have been impressed by the airitation in England headed by Mr. Pemberton Billing and the "Daily Mail." Writing in "Land and Water." Mr. F. W. Lanehester points out that there has been a similar movement in France. There has been, he says, '"the same Press and public agitation, the same accusations of service inefficiency. In France the outcry was summarised in the words, 'La crise de l'aviation.' Here the analogous term coined by the Press and the Parliamentary malcontents has been 'the air muddle.' " In France, however, the movement developed earlier than in England. Two years before the war the control of army aeronautics was in the hands of Colonel (now General) Hirschauer. who is looked upon to-day as the man who made service aeronautk-s. When war broke out General Bernard was in command, but he resigned shortly afterwards, and General Hirschauer was reappointed to the post, holding it until September, 1915. Then the French Government created an Air Ministry, at the head of which was placed a civilian. M. Besnard, who was assisted by a committee of experts. Outside pressure caused the Government to take this step, and six months later the same sort of pressure led to the abolition of the Ministry, and the return to the old method of control 'by a soldier. Mr. Lanehester comments severely on the fact that while the creation of an Air Ministry in France was trumpeted in certain sections of the English Frees, the failure and dissolution of the Ministry five months later ■passed unnoticed.

The point emphasised by llr. Lanehester is not so much that because the Air Ministry was a failure in France (he charges it with technical mistakes) a similar system of control Would fail in England, as that the same methods of criticism have been employed in both countries, "a- Press- and political agitation ia -which

'trade' played a. conspicuous part, and in which the Zeppelin menace was freely < exploited." He alleges that the down- < fill of General Hirschauer was due to a i systematic campaign of intrigue. "His 1 thorough-going methods of reorganisa- i tion resulted in his incurring the enmity J or" many of the French nrme engaged in aircraft contracts, and raised a corres- j ponding opposition amongst a certain ( clique of politicians." Being a soldier he j had' no means of .replying to the attacks , made on him. There was an outcry in s the.Press against the Air Ministry over , Zeppelin raids just as there was against J the Government in England. Just as ( Mr. Pemherton Billing demanded the , Government's head for allowing the Zeppelins to come and go unscathed, so in ( France M. Bleriot, a well-known avia- < tor, wrote that he had "felt in a manner , particularly acute fehe affront of which ] Paris has been the victim," and declared , that everything would he right if cer- j tain trade representatives' were added to , the Advisory Committee. We cannot go j into the details of Mr. Lanchester's article dealing with the agitation in England. , Of course we cannot say whether he is , justified in charging manufacturers of aeroplanes with taking a hand in it. But , the main facts of Ilia comparison betiveen France and England seem indis- ' putable. and \vp think they should dc . widely known, so that people who are constantly reading allegations of muddling in England may see that similar . allegations are made in an allied country which has borne its part with such shin- . ing success, and that they may realise ' the danger of such agitation. Both j French ajid English boast that Zeppelin . raids have no effect upon them, '. yet , there have been people in both countries . prepared to make such raids a reason for ' turning out a Government or a Minister.