The Two-Power Standard.

Progress, Volume IV, Issue 7, 1 May 1909, Page 236

The Two-Power Standard.

One begins to wonder whether the aeroplane is destined to be a British possession after all. If we may judge by the latest cable messages, it is plain that whatever the fate may be of Britain in this matter there are some men very determined to place Britain at the head of the nations prominent in aviation. A great meeting, the largest and most enthusiastic for many years at the Mansion House, has passed a resolution for the establishment of an aerial Empire League, and applauded the suggestion of Admiral Sir Percy Scott to secure and maintain a two power standard m airships. One sees at the same time that the courage of that meeting is much of the order of courage required of a runner who at the start of a long race lets his competitors get an alarming lead with every appearance of going strong to the finish. It is a consolation to remember in this connection that the motor industry presented at its outset

the same aspect of things as the aeroplane industry does now. Its present condition is in marked contrast. We need not detail the same. Space forbids. Besides, it is not necessary to devote space. It is enough to remind ourselves that the leading makers and owners in Paris have united in a lament at the shrinkage of the French position. The horse, they say, is passing away before the motor, and so is the supremacy of the French makers before the enterprise of the perfidious Albion. The French motor journals are full of sarcastic allusions to the decadence of their country in the motor trade, and teem with suggestions from thoughtful men for getting the supremacy back. These differ naturally a good deal one from another; but they have one thing in common. It is the note of despair. Their tone is the tone of doomed men who see no hope. The reality of historical fact in one sphere encourages the belief in its possibility in another. The British race lias actually answered the French automobile challenge, and has won considerable advantage, with good prospects of increase. Will it also answer the French aeroplane challenge as successfully? The start in the long stern chase is not the best that could be desired. True, the aviators have organised themselves club fashion, and they have secured u Held for

exercise, but the experts unite in the declaration that the field is quite unsuitable for encouraging the first steps of the aeroplane which are always taken on land. Secondly, the British Army plane, of which so much was expected, and so much said in a cable message of some weeks ago, turns out to have done little to remove the contempt with which the continent viewed the same. Mr. Cody has flown in that aeroplane 200 yards and four hundred yards.

He has got as much as 10 feet from the ground in these flights, and once a somewhat dramatic account of what happened to the daring aeronaut "in mid air" contained the assurance that the British Army aeroplane had on that occasion actuallyrisen as much as six feet. The biggest pace it put on was ten miles an hour (with the wind — a light air from south), and most of its nights were of the auxiliary order — to coin a term not required by other aeroplanes — which consists in sandwiching runs on the wheels between the flights in the air. For the present the Two Power Standard of the gallant admiral is not quite in sieht. While the English are awake nt last, and rubbing their eyes, the fliers of the Continent supply heaps of news to the daily papers of the world. The cable messages are full of references to the doings of Governments and individuals. We read of army manoeuvres in Germany at which the aeroplane and the dirigible are to be tried in searching fashion ; of Italian increments of the aeroplane and dirigible squadrons, and of France occuirving a tremendous lead in aviation. The last story is suggestive. The French authorities have hit upon the plan of getting at the travelling airship through the Custom House. When the idea was mooted it seemed absurd to rlpTiend on the Custom. House for catching

offenders that never come down. But since the impost of the duty, four ships came down on French soil, and their passengers, not having enough money to meet the duty which the French officers promptly levied upon them, these balloons were confiscated. From which we learn that the dirigible is sometimes compelled to descend, whether its people like it or not. Some aeronauts who have made a compulsory descent in another country, it is announced, had to

confess, after much fencing, that they were officers of the Germany army, which justifies a surmise that the victims of the other accident were also officers of the German army. From which we learn that even in the heated atmosphere of Franco-German relations so high-handed a thing as confiscation of airships is not only not a casus belli, but not even worth mentioning in the official uiterehanges. It is just a curious item for the news getter.