COMPARISON OF STRENGTH

Thames Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14900, 7 September 1914, Page 6

COMPARISON OF STRENGTH

*" " i IN THE AIR. HQW THE TAMOUS NATIONS COMPARE. In ilie field of• iriHkary mid naval aeroniauftosi th© effort to mailit.ii.2n a. onar-0 or teas h;vj;ji!--douig suprciniacy in tihe . a'r has resolved iteeli" 1* .far into a contest j-n 'cipuily between Franc* and Gumi .',n'\ with the- (.iiher KuropLaii nations following, lr.it ml seriously tthrdat^fPiy, the leatk-'s. Th& Mlbwing figures give a rough idea, f the relative a<-r-i.B'.i *iri-iii»'h.s — military, Uuival,'•■ and ".ihe-rw'M — anioag lire variotu* nation.-? tf I'.u----i-ojxr :in-l are Ij-av.'d en ti^.tt-s ]-rey.ioed by the I.ntei::iit!on-.il Aeronautical* As9o.o;iatiioai au,d atilier ofi'icdiail aviaitiion' orga,iiisiation.s. j It. is easy to" iimiagine why the G-retaifc IWors have pretsevveid a more ! rigid seiorecy ahoait their' aeriiai fieats I thin haia p;>.rha,ps beeax the oaisie with I any,: otb* branch of tihoir defence syst'eanv To-diay •we Tsximv- mioro aibout th^ir maries thaw w-e &> aibout their ■ ofiwyplahos and diitgibles, and suoh figures .as are given earn only bo con- j sddCTfid jvppi-oxi-miatdy oorreot; j CEORITIFIED AIR .PILOTS: In Ausaflria 1. there ar0...8.4: aeit)p!ane. avMtora and 86 balloon atirooalaiute, whiLsit theii^r are, 2il- airship pAlatsi. j For Bedgium- tlio figures < are for the sarnie cteaas.-58, 55, 2. Foa' Dejotaajalrk, 8, 7, 0. j Fotr France, ff66, 204. 23. ' i For Gorraany, 335, "CC-3, 22. For Great, Britain, 376, 32, Li. Foa.' HWLaMd, 26, 17, 0. For Hung'.aTy, 7, 0, 0. Fdr "ffltaly, 18?, 67, 13. lor Kos^wiay, 5, 5, 0, For.Eiusisr^, 162, 4, 1. For Spaiiia, IS, 30, 2. Fw Sweden, 10, 17, 0. Foir SwlissenrlaDid, 27, 30, 0. AEROiPILIANEISI OF ALL TY^ES . B-mnr cm- oridedked. ■. Ooinianig to tih© aiotual fl'e©fes of a&roplatnes in the possession of the v'air'ious Eutopaan- Foweiia, "&& find tihia.t France heads tihe liati mrth. 550 mialchiwes,- them ooim-es Gertniamiy 375, Eni^ia with 315, Italy 270,-Austria. 220. Ensflond' 180. 'Blel^um 150, a.nd Spain 75. \ BIRTIGTOLE HATjLOONS. In tlniis oaise Gertalany heads the wsfc •With siotmie 4-0 imiaidhaimes, Friante 1 dcumiinq; nexfc with. 30 ; 'Eaiiagia possresscs 15, Italy 11, AilsMa 10, Enpjk'nid 7. BieHeriium 3, 'amd Spaiin 2. Th-o, followin'sr fibres are'-the' a'pproximaita expandßtua-'ei over a period of fiiviei yean-a. Gartni{\;ny holdis pride of plaioe' Wl*h Filance runs heir* a. Either clase sec-innd With .£.4 fTSO.nOO ; Rn^nLa- is tiliird with £2,500,000 : them -aciraos Italy witli, ■Pir.'7oO.ooioi; Anwtir'in, .£l,000,t)00,' E^^Tiand £700.000. Beilgii-um '.£550,----000, amd Spain .-£150,000.