The Daily News THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1924. AIRSHIP MAIL SERVICE.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 March 1924, Page 4

The Daily News THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1924. AIRSHIP MAIL SERVICE.

In the matter of aircraft, the British Labour Government is deserving of commendation for its decision to materially strengthen the air force as an important arm for the defence of the Old Country. Had they neglected, or even postponed their duty in this matter they would have been guilty of criminal folly, for there is not the slightest dou'bt. that Britain would have been liable to be reduced to ashes in the space of a few hours in the event of a hostile attack from the air by any Continental enemy. Unfortunately the Government has a vigorous tail of supporters who are adverse to all expenditure that savours of a warlike nature, and it must be very difficult to steer a course which will avert an open revolt" of the extremists, which would put an end to the Government’s career. To strengthen the air force must, therefore, have required considable courage, and it could be wished that Labour Ministers were endowed with that quality in a much larger measure than is in evidence. As a result of this deficiency the tendency to compromise is all too apparent, so that instead of facing vital matters from an Imperial point of view, there is brought into use a policy of procrastination, whereby action that is plainly necessary is postponed, for fear of the overthrow of the traces by the rank and file of the party. The matter of the Singapore base was a striking illustration of that policy, and now the adoption of similar tactics towards the Burney scheme for an Empire airship service appears to be involved in the same fate. That scheme was intended to serve the dual purpose of providing an Imperial air line to the most distant portions of the Empire, while the airships would b= available, if required, to be used for the purpose of the defence of t-he whole Empire. Six gigantic ahs

ships were to be constructed and operated by a syndicate for commercial purposes, part of the necessary capital being provided by the Government by way of advances which were nominally liable to be repaid, but were, no doubt, really intended as Government grants or subsidies, in view of the part the airships might be called upon to play should they be engaged in warfare, much in the same way as large liners were included as items of the Royal Naval reserve. There was never any misapprehension as to the dual purpose of these giant airships, though it was expected they would mainly, if not wholly, be utilised in civil aviation, and become an important factor in speeding up communications throughout the Empire, as well as in facilitating trade and commerce. ’Commander Burney’s negotiations with the Conservative Government extended over a long period, and the proposed syndicate went as far as to construct a full-sized model cabin, and complete the designs for the airships; they were only waiting for a settlement of the issue before commencing to build. These promoters were finding most of the money, but a State grant was essential to prove the feasibility of constructing huge airships that would journey to Bombay in one hundred hours and to Australia in a similar proportion. Commander Burney asserts that his scheme had the full support of the Baldwin Government, the approval of the Shipping Air Mail, Imperial Defence and Avery Committees. Such a •hacking was surely sufficient to command respect even by a Labour Ministry, but events have proved to the contrary. When pressed for a decision as to placing a vote on the Estimates, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald replied that the. Government must have time tb examine the scheme before submitting it for the approval of Parliament. Commander Burney, however, surmises, probably with good reason, that'the opposition to his scheme may be due to the reluctance of the Socialists to ■promote private enterprise instead of nationalisation. This view is supported by the fact that there has been some controversy over the subject of control. The position has now reached the stage when the Government, after blowing hot and cold, as well as procrastinating, appears to have definitely turned down the scheme. 'There can be no question that the perfecting of airships would give the Empire an enormous advantage both in peace and war. The tail of the Labour party has, for the time being, wagged the head, and Britain is thus deprived of her leadership in commercial air transit. From the Empire’s point of view that is the real crux of the whole matter, and great regret will be felt at the paralysing blow which has been dealt to private enterprise at a time when the utmost stimulation was needed. It is to be hoped that the time is not far distant when a more satisfactory policy will be adopted.