BRITISH AIR POWER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18677, 5 October 1922, Page 4

BRITISH AIR POWER

LOST SUPREMACY. GERMAN OFFICER’S OPINION. “AT THE MERCY OF EUROPEAN POWERS.” (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON. August 4. A number of leading English newspapers have taken upon themselves the duty of pointing out how tills country is lagging behind in (ho mutter of aerial defence. Mr . Lloyd George, in his speech to Ibo Free Churches last week, said I hat certain nations “are constructing more terrible machines than even the late war over saw. 'They are to attack cities unarmed, where yon have defenceless populations, to kJI, to maim, (o poison, to mutilate, to burn helpless woman and children.” The speech was in favour of peace, but the Daily -Express has seized upon it as a text to demand the formulation ol an air policy. The same journal has ) rblished an interview with a Gorman, Colonel Thomsen, who is said to have organ.sod (lie war raids on London. “London is almost defenceless.” says Colonel Thomsen. "It would bo a matter of hours, e.in ost minutes, before the principal buildings ol military importance in our great metropolis could be reduced to masses of smouldering cinders.” Wo need for defence, Tie lii nks, an enormous number of fighting scouting squadrons, besides countless brigades 'if amiaircraft guns. ‘‘Manchester. Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield, the centres of onr industries, our great, ports.” says the Express, “are exposed to the Kune horrors that threaten London. Can we defend ourselves? Let the Committee of Imperial Defence, the Air Ministry, the Admiralty, the Catiiucf, stop day-dreaming and formulate an air policy! Let them tell us the truth. And if there is no effective defence against air attack, lot the fact be admitted, and Itt us concentrate on building squadrons for attack that no enemy rnnv dare molest for tear of retribution swift and terrible. Waste cf monoj' on defences that, earned defend would bo no remedy for a. dcsuvalo ill.”

“100 APPALLING TO CONTK.MPLATE.”’ “What is to be said for a policy.” asks the Empire Mail, "which in less than four years has reduced Britain as an air Power ■at best to the third or fourth place on the world list? What would the country have said in former days, when our sea defences were the indispensable' guarantee of our security, if the navy had been treated in such a fashion? We venture to say that the outcry would have been so great that no Government could have stood against it. . . Nothing is more indispensable to the British commonwealth, both in peace and war, than its communications. And it is certain that air science is developing .so rapidly to-day that tho States which Vicglect their opportunities ip peace will pay ft terrible penalty if war should unhappily come upon thorn unawares. Our'fatp, in such a situation, both as a nation and as an Empire, would be too appalling to contemplate.” In introducing a number of articles, by such well-known men as Admiral Sir Percy Scott, Admiral Mark Kerr, Mr Handley Page, and Captain Alfred Instqne, (ho same journal remarks: “It is absolutely vital for the Empire’s safety that it should ho secure against attack from the air, by having at command’ machines and men capable df taking the offensive, but, in addition to depleted forces 'and obsolete machines,, there is tho alarming prospect of some of Great Britain's important aircraft companies closing down their works through lack of orders.” / ADMIRAL SIR PERCY SCOTT. We are behind most nations in aviation,” writes Sir Percy Scott, “and consequently are at tho mercy of European Powers. .Our dominions, colonies, and dependencies have naturally followed our example, and have no adequate means of defence. 'Hie Royal Navy is no longer our first lino of defence. Wo must consider ourself as part of the European Continent. The English Channel is no protection to us under existing and future circumstances. This change in the power and influence of our navy, materially affects the safety of our dominions, colonies;? mid dependencies. The navy can no longer assist them as it could heretofore. Our colonies must safeguard themselves from attack, and this they can do by providing themselves with (in adequate supply of modern weapons of defence. If they do this they have nothing to fear. They must not follow England’s example of jeopardising her future existence. Our dominions will have to defend themselves. They will have the choice of weapons, and they ought to know- what the weapons can do before they select them.” i FATE OF THE FOOLISH VIRGINS. “ Suffocation is described in the dictionary as ‘ to choke by stopping the--breathe and that,” says Admiral Mark Kerr, “is what precisely is being done to tho Empire by the Powers that be in not keeping up their aerial power, militarily and commercially, in all pai-ts of the Empire. By so failing they are giving our air into the keeping of any Continental Power who chooses io take it and cut off from the people of the British Empire the right to breathe. . . .London is the heart of tho Empire, and if the heart is pierced tho Empire will die? for the body of the Emire. is kept alive by Ibe veins of commerce which stretch all over the world, to every part of it, and the motive power is supplied. as usual, by tho heart. “ It is tho duty of everyone to try and counteract this national disability by insisting on the following points;—That ft proper study of aircraft, pilots, mechanics, and all their auxiliaries should be provided for the fighting forces of the country ; that commercial aviation should bo assisted-iin order to. provide a reserve of; pilots, machines, engines, and mechanics for the aircraft, industry, which is absolutely essential for the safety of the nation in war, then the Government, must subsidise such factories to keep their plants and mechanics in working order. In the old days tho navy was the insurance for the -wealth of the Empire. In modern times the premium must be divided between the navy and the air. If we fail to prepare and to keep our lamp burning, we, as a nation, shall suffer the same fate as the foolish virgins when the Day of Judgment comes.”