AIR SERVICE DEBATE

Nelson Evening Mail, 26 May 1916, Page 5

AIR SERVICE DEBATE

LORD CURZON'S EULOGY. LONDON, May 24. In the House of Lords the Air .Service debate was continued. Lord Galway said it was hard to think that after 21 months it -was recessary to inquire what the Government's air policy -was. They were not possessed of Colonel Churchill's promised air fleet. Lord Haldane said our weakness in air ships was due to the Admiralty's failure to accommodate itself to :;ew conditons.

Lord Gurzon said the nation _ had every reason to he proud of the air service. The marvellous achievement accomplished since the commencement of the -war was second to none in intorprisc. He had no fear of comparisons with the Germans. Our men at; the front were showing their mastery of the air in daily combats. Britain was now better defended against air raids, and invaders would he more and m„re chary, though they might be contemplating something bigger than ever. The new Air Board would be specially concerned with applying science to sir problems. There was much to 'be done in co-ordinating and organising material and the supply of machines. The Board would consist of himself, Admiral F. C. Tudor. Colonel A. YanghanLee, General Sir David Henderson (Di-rector-General of Military Aeronautics). General Brander, Major Baird, and Lord Sydenham. Lord Gurzon agreed that a .-ingle Department under a Minister with wide powers would be the best solud>n, but the present was not an opportune time. There n« not sufficient agreement between Ihe War Office and the | Admiralty, and the attempt would j mean dislocation, and friction, but com- ! plete unification would come in time, as conscription had come, by general agreement and with the support of the two services and their Ministers. It would be the Board's duty to report thereupon when the time was ripe. Meantime it would, endeavour to prevent rivalry and overlapping of the services. It was already examining the question of long-i'ange offensives, antiair raid defences, the development of airships and aeroplanes, and a. great variety of questions relating to cqtiipment.'inventions, training facilities and national factories. The debate lapsed.