Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 January 1912 — ARMY BIRDMEN WILL BE ACTIVE IN FUTURE WARS [ARTICLE]

ARMY BIRDMEN WILL BE ACTIVE IN FUTURE WARS

Aeroplanes Promise to Become as Important as Warships of Today. WASHINGTON. (Spl.) —Avlatios as an offensive and defensive force i> war is just in its Infancy, but if ths progress that has been made in the work for the past four years continues. It will be hut a short time when ths aeroplane will overshadow the battleship and the soldier as a means of defense and destruction in case of war, experts now believe. When the United States government first became interested in aviation, It made rigid demands of the Wright brothers for a machine. One of ths strongest requirements was that ths machine stay in the air an hour. The whole world, especially France, Germany, and England, thought the United States government foolish in demanding that a flying machine be able to stay In-the-air an hour, but ths Wright brothers built a machine which met the requirements of the government and it wae accepted; The nearest approach actual demonstration of the war value was when the government despatched thres aeroplanes to San Antonio, Tex. where the federal troops were sens last spring to protect American interests in the recent Mexican revolt A number Of long flights were made in that country. On several occasions the great machines swept over the camps of the rebels, giving them a silent warning that the United States government meant business. The army now has five machine*. Two others are in use by the navy, but these are known to the flying world as hydro-aeroplanes, made to fly fro® ttio water. Since the College Park school was opened over 300 sccessful flights have been made, not one meeting with ths slightest personal Injury, though al times they Jiave Injured their machines considerably in landing. Fts® time to time they Increased theta time sh the air ahd have on several occasions made flights lasting over an hour. They have Increased their altitude until they have gone 4,000 feet this record being held by Lieutenant H. H. Arnold. The aeroplane will play a prominent part In future warfares and also in the commercial world. The fleet at flying machines will be increased ts at least 15 by next summer. The government is anxious to buy additional machines, and has 180,000 of an appropriation of >125,000 left with which to purchase the needed planes, but cannot get the men to fly them. A number of Important experiments have been mapped out for the government flyers. Within a short time all men engaged in the government wort will have to learn telegraphy because the machines are to be fitted with wireless instruments. In case of war an officer in an aeroplane will be expected to flash messages from his machine to his army, telling of the position of the enemies' lines, the location of the roads, where the fortifications are, and all information that would be beneficial to an army in * hard campaign against a foe. r An experimental wireless machine has been ordered and the offiog(* a soon will begin to make tests with it. • ‘ Another Important experiment will be that of throwing bombs to the earth. The bombs are now nothing but plain ordinary potatoes. An offbf cer salls'dvefablgfleld,nnd picks out an object on the earth at which he throws. The object in view is tu develop an accuracy for this work, so' that in case of battle the men could do destructive work by throwing bombs into the camp of the enemy. Still another interesting experiment will be what is known to the army men as “sketch work”; that of taking a sketch of the country over which a machine is flying by the use of a pencil and a pad. This is considered important because in case ot a campaign an aviator with an assistant could fly around the scene of battle and in the course of a few minutes maae a map of the surrounding country.