AVIATION

Evening Star, Issue 16663, 20 February 1918, Page 2

AVIATION

■ 6 A POSSIBLE WEAPON FOE _ ASIATICS. "Aviation is the most important discovery of the last century," said Sir John JJenmston, m proposing the toast of • Aviation' at Christchurch on Saturday nignt.. To me the conquest of the air is not only the most wonderful but the most pregnant discovery of modern times. I cannot at present imagine anv circum- . stances, m which I could find myself in a flying-machine. Frankly, I enw those I , who go up in them. I may possibly set I over my present .feeling, for I once had Mmilar feelings about a bicycle. To think what has been done in the air is to me almost incredible. The familiarity and courage and presence of mind and command, of nerve 3 that the aviator displays is a subject I can only look at with awe " * / Avi ,?*^ n '',™- ust kave an enormous future, Bir John continued. "The ques-tion-was solved when one of the Wright brothers found that a heavier body than air could- be held and supported m air The refit has all been simply a question of development. One could speak the whole night on this subject. We mav come to warfare\in the air as the determining factor of -the future. I am enough of an Englishman (or Briton) to hope that the -same .faculty or quality of grit which has • England at the head of naval mattera will have the same effect in aviation. - There are some very singular and difficult problems to be faced. It may be that the uitroduction of air warfare may put a very dangerous weapon in the hands of Asiatic hordes, who have innumerable numbers and plenty of grit, and lack of nerves. I .cannot help_thinking that we shall at all events find in the present war that a very \ definite and a deciding factor will be aviation. It will throw an immense amount of power into the hands of nations distinguished in engineering and with a large •population. It ought to throw into the hands of America an extraordinarily valuable weapon in warfare."