SLEUTHS OF THE SKY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19147, 15 April 1924, Page 11

SLEUTHS OF THE SKY.

AERIAL DETECTIVE FORCE NEW FRENCH MEASURE. TRACKING WRONGDOERS. France has decided on a measure that most sooner or later be followed by every civilised nation in the world. In that country an aerial police force is to be established, the first of its kind in Europe. It will bo a veritable “flying squad. . No other country has so far definitely determined on aeroplanes as a means of coping with crime and the experiment will be ■ watched closely, not only by the chiefs at | Scotland Yard, but by criminologists and detectives in every land. The heaciquarters of tho French polictv men of the skies is to be. at the outset, at the aerodrome at Le Boorgut (writes Captain G. Barnett in a London journal). ( This is the terminus on the other side of i the Channel for tho airway between London and Paris. It is like our own air port at Croydon, and is situated on tire outskirts * of the French capital. It is excellently equipped, and although it is certain that a.t a later stage a special spot will be set ‘j aside for the exclusive use of the winged i sleuths —a kind of Scotland Yard of tho, 3 air—n.e Bourgct will, for training purposes, > be excellent, ] At the outset the duties of (he flying ( squad are to be confined mainly to tho malting of trial reconnaissance flights over ! Paris, with a view to giving tho detective# \ a thorough knowledge of their capital from I the air and also in order to provide data J which will, it is hoped, assist in bringing 1 about a more equitable distribution of tho j traffic of tho multitudinous thoroughfare# j of Paris. i NEW ERA IN CRIME DETECTION. | Lessons will also be received in the Hon- t trolling of aerial traffic, since it will b©.jn> f possible to utilise the incoming and out- j going air “expresses” of Le Boarget for) that purpose. At the same time, mope, im- j portant training will be going on, with a 1 main eye on tho real purpose for e stablishment of this force. Parachute, de-a, scents will figure in tire curriculum. m From high up in the sky these winged j sleuths will be taught to pick out, tp.fdl- j low. and track down motor cant moving f swiftly out of Paris. They will learn also J how to deal with wrongdoers who cn- 1 deavour to escape tho penalties of ifieir > crimes by literally flying from the arm of 1 the law. It is an experiment that marks 1 tf new and very important era in ’ .eijime • detection.

The whole idea may sound romahtiofenough, and may suggest the plot of sori-ia i romantic novel, tho output of the imagmafive mind of a fiction writer, bait it is j the inevitable trend of events. It mayi ba J some tiros, perhaps, before tho criminal opl fbe swindler includes a private aeroplane, among hia equipment, but sooner or later'; aii-craft will have become as common and as easy to manipulate os motor cars now: are, and the average man will bare forsaken his two-seater for an acroplaiie-' of . similar capacity. Moreover, the vest ..dfidi uncharted expanses of the heavens' offer l immense possibilities of escape to the mart.-, who has done wrong and has been able to > get into the sky before his crime has been ’ detected. During the war there were pilots . like Captain Ball, V.C., and Major Mao- > Cudden, V.C., who were able to use,.the i clouds to tremendous advantage. , • . ; HIDING PLACES OF THE SKY. ” They learned, as it were, the by-ways j and the alleys of the sky, arid here they t were able to hide and swiftly sweep down upon some unsuspecting enemy ainnari, in- t flicting great damage, so that there Was Hide chance of a retort being made. There is no reason why criminals should ! not acquire a similar intimate knowledge ‘ of the hiding-places of the sky. These, Tin- j like those of the earth, are for ever chang- I ing. Not for successive hours are they ■ located in identical places i

Already in Britain there have been Those who have sought to escape the penalties of their misdeeds by literally flying the country. They have gone out from Cr6ydou by aeroplane before there has bebn a." hue and cry for them, and before it has been discovered that they are “-wanted”' men. This, in itself, although insignificantin comparison with what can be and, yet will be accomplished by means of private aircraft, has demonstrated some asjmota '-of the problem that will have to be tackled la England. , OPIUM SMUGGLING PREVENTED. ’ For reconnaissance purposes, too', aircraft i afford tremendous possibilities for police f purposes. It will be possible so much more ? easily to exercise the strictest surveillance > over a very extensive area. Not merely V this, road and that will be watched for | those upon whom suspicion has rested,: or i whose actions are suspicious, but, if needs I. be, guard will be set over a whole county. ■ As soon as a crime is discovered, aviator j policemen will be up aloft scouring , the ;

whole countryside for any movemeutth'at > i» suspicious. ‘ Main roads and by-ways, streets and : country lanes, and vast stretches oi‘ fields j and meadows will be scrutinised from the heavens. No hastening, racing car will? be i able to dash off at night and escape the % vigilance of the winged sleuths. _ This is no fantastic possibility evolved by an imaginative mind. Aircraft, by beeping close watch on all the ships front . the East which come into the Canadian. > ports, have entirely stopped the illicit im- ■ portation of opium into that country. _Tt ( was a problem that taxed tile utmost in- ■ gonuity of the. Customs officers, and not all j their vigilance could circumvent the ingenu- i jtv of the drug smugglers. They were I offered a couple of aeroplanes to assist V. them in their task, and accepted. fa ROMANTIC POSSIBILITIES REALISED. These craft escorted all vessels into har-; hour from some distance out. at 'sea. ' Nettling ccnrld be thrown overboard With- ' out being observed by the winged watch cits. Soon the traffic had ceased, there was no more opium brought that way into Cijiada, and the Customs officials were so delighted

with the success of what was merely an. experimental step that they have asked' for ’planes 1o bo allotted for this specific smuggling dutv. _ . Aeroplanes for police work would, ngvd to be equipped with wireless telephony. ! just ns the Continental “expresses” are. It, ; would then be possible for a close touch, to be kept with officers on the ground.

and every movement and every _ suspicion could at once be communicated without;the ne(© of descending. The machines would, for preference, be two or three-seater*. fitted with at least a couple of machine gums, bomb-dropping apparatus, and JWaohutes for one or more of the law officers ; to make a descent in that manner should it be necessary. Those things which have until tbe presept time figured romantic nossihilitles in lurid novels will be everyday ecurrentes in the later life of tb« next generation^' PULMONAS ACT QUICKLY. COLDS AND COUGHS FLY; : . A chill, cold develops, can hardly speak. Then Pulmonas. The healing ingredients, including boochyood, creosote, release their soothing vapours. Nose, throat, bronchia! passages- the whole mucous lining of the respiratory apparatus are reached ’ arid soothed. In a single day you are markedly better. ■ That is the history of a cold when you take Pulmonas. Pulmonas do not tinker. Thim get down to the sent of a cold. They are not mildly medicated “sweets,” but a scientifically compounded pastilo designed to destroy the germs of cold without upsetting the stomach. In Bronchitis, Asthma. Hoarseness, add Laryngitis, Pulmonas are a tested standby. Salesmen, clergymen, auctioneers, singers, and public speakers protect their voices with Pulmonas. Sold by chemists and stores. Is 6d gnd 2s 6d. Send 3d in stamps for generous free sample. Write Stacey Bras., manufacturers. Box 882, Auckland.—Advt.