While the greater portion of this book was already in the Press, and too late for classification or detailed comment, the Government's programme in regard to Naval and Military Airmanship, for 1912-13, was duly announced.

The appended summary of the official scheme is from the Memorandum, concerning the Army Estimates, issued by the Secretary of State for War:—

"Sufficient experience has now been gained in military aviation to warrant advance on less tentative lines; and after careful consideration by the Committee of Imperial Defence, it has been decided to establish at once a joint Army and Navy School of Aviation at which officers of both services shall be taught to fly, before proceeding to the separate Army and Navy establishments at which they will be exercised in the more specialised requirements of their respective services.

"A site for the school has been selected on Salisbury Plain, and the purchase of the necessary land will be completed at the beginning of April. Building, to plans which have been already prepared, will be pressed forward rapidly, and it is hoped at a very early date to have accommodation at the school for officers and men, instructors and mechanics, as well as the necessary sheds for aeroplanes and workshops for their repair and adjustment. Provision has also been made on an extended scale for purchase of aeroplanes and other necessary equipment for the school.

"Officers of both services will be employed on the staff of the school, and its expenses (other than cost of land) will be shared between Army and Navy votes.

"The Estimates further provide for continuing the experimental and other work of the Army aircraft factory, for further buildings required for airships, for an addition of personnel to Army establishments for aeroplane work, and for a considerable number of aeroplanes as a first instalment of the equipment of the Field Army.

"The total provision for the above services made in these estimates compares with that made in 1911-12 as follows:—

For a full statement of the Government's aerial programme, it is not possible to do better than reproduce the speech (as printed in The Times) which was made by Colonel Seely, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for War.

Colonel Seely, explaining in the House of Commons the official scheme for the forthcoming year, said:—

"He now came to what was called aviation, though he hoped that that detestable word would vanish from the English language. With regard to the defence of the country, the Prime Minister had appointed a committee, of which Lord Haldane was the chairman. That committee settled broad principles and entrusted the making-out of the complete scheme to a technical committee, of which he acted as chairman. This committee was at work during the whole of last recess, and prepared a scheme which the full committee had accepted in all parts except the details as to pay. The scheme had that morning been approved by the Prime Minister, and would now be carried into effect.

"There was to be one flying corps, embracing soldiers, sailors, and civilians—all who could fly and would take the obligation to serve this country in time of war in any part of the world. No man would hold executive rank in the flying corps unless he was himself an expert flyer. The present Air Battalion would cease to exist, and part of it would be absorbed in the new organisation. The corps would be one corps, and as far as possible all the officers would be paid and treated alike. In a purely land war the whole flying corps would be available for land warfare, and in a purely naval war for naval warfare. The headquarters would be near Nether-Avon on Salisbury Plain, where a large tract had been purchased at a cost of about £90,000. In the first instance accommodation would be provided for sixty officers at the school at any one time. There would be three terms of four months each, and it was proposed to pass through a hundred and eighty officers in each year. If an officer wished to join the flying corps he had first to get the consent of the military authorities, then to be passed by the doctor, and afterwards obtain his Royal Aero Club certificate at a private aerodrome. It was not proposed to use the central school for teaching officers to fly. They would learn the elements of the art elsewhere and go to the flying school for the more advanced course. After receiving the Royal Aero Club certificate, and before presenting themselves, they would receive £75 which it was believed would cover the cost. This arrangement had already been in force some little time; he believed between twenty and thirty officers had received the £75. Afterwards officers would be attached to the central air school, and would go through a course of four months. They would learn progressive flying, mechanics and construction, meteorology, observation from the air, flying by compass, photography from the air, signalling, and types of warships of all nations. After this course the officer of the air-corps, whatever his origin, would either join the military wing or the naval wing, or go straight to the reserve. The military wing would consist of seven aeroplane squadrons, each containing twelve aeroplanes and a suitable number of officers for flying. There would be an eighth squadron, consisting of balloons and kites. The naval wing would have headquarters at Eastchurch. The numbers had not yet been finally settled, but they would be considerable, and would be increased. In the reserve there would be two classes—the first reserve consisting of airmen who performed so many flights across country in each quarter and received a retaining fee, and the second reserve consisting of those who did not enter into this undertaking, but would be available in time of war. Both the Army and Navy wings of the air-crops would always be on a war footing, and the peace and war establishments would be the same. The Army aircraft factory would cease to be called by that name, and would become the aircraft factory for the whole flying corps. Its functions would include experiment and building experimental machines, making repairs to machines where that was thought desirable, sometimes building machines, though that would not be its primary duty, and training in expert knowledge the numerous mechanics who would be required for this new service.

"The scheme involved the purchase of a hundred and thirty-one aeroplanes. He was not sure they could all be bought this year, though the obstacle was not expense. The first seventy-one had been sanctioned already. The orders for a great many of them had gone out, and the others were in process of negotiation. Not so many had been ordered from British manufacturers as could be wished, but that was because the technical members of his committee realised, and in this they had the full approval of the whole committee, that the first essential was efficiency and safety. In many respects France had gone a long way ahead of us in both those matters. The Government could not buy British machines at the price of human life, but no doubt this difficulty would soon be overcome, for a great many of the best brains were undoubtedly at work making the aeroplane not only more speedy and efficient, but safer.

"The risks the officers would run would be very great. The insurance rates were very high. But it was some consideration to know that in France they had enormously increased the safety of learning to fly. One school had covered 160,000 kilometres without accident. It was to be hoped the risks would be reduced, but they would still be very great, and he trusted the House would not grudge the expense involved in making adequate payment to officers, and giving an adequate scale of pensions in the event of their being seriously injured. (Cheers.) The military wing required at once to fly these aeroplanes a hundred and thirty-three officers, the Navy a number not yet fixed, but thirty or forty at once, and the reserve a number which would depend on the progress of our science in the near future. They had not got the hundred and thirty-three military officers. No doubt many officers would volunteer. It could only be hoped that they would learn to fly with as little accident as possible. It had been settled that the officers should learn to fly at private flying schools, first, because it was desirable to encourage private effort; and, secondly, because they thought there was less risk of accident in the initial stages if this method was adopted. It was a method which had been largely followed in France, and it had obvious advantages. It was greatly to the interest of the owner of an aerodrome to avoid accident. When officers had learned the elementary art of flying they would go to the central flying school."

This official announcement of policy, as revealed above, unfortunately comes too late for more than the briefest criticism in these pages.

All that can be said, indeed, is that the scheme prepared, while certainly representing a stride forward in comparison with the previous apathy of our authorities, is still inadequate when contrasted with the activities of either France or Germany.

In France close upon £100,000 has been subscribed, by an enthusiastic public, to augment the million which the Government will expend; Germany has increased an original vote to the tune of £100,000.

Our scheme can only be regarded as a beginning—and, in several respects, a disappointing one, seeing that, at the end of the present flying season, both France and Germany will, inevitably, have still further increased their already long lead.

Agitation for a more ambitious aerial programme in England must not, indeed, cease; this 1912-13 scheme is not sound enough to relieve public uneasiness. We are lamentably behind; and adequate steps have not, even now, been taken to bring us on anything like a level with foreign rivals, despite the fact that the aeroplane has been proved to be an absolutely revolutionary weapon of modern war.

NOTE

Amplifying the official statement of policy previously quoted, the authorities issued, on 12th April, 1912, a fuller explanation of their aerial programme. But it throws no very clear light upon the immediate future; and, although it deals with plans which are ambitious, it is disquietingly vague concerning the all-important question of finance.

The official design is, it is stated, to form seven aeroplane squadrons, each comprising twelve aeroplanes; and, to man this air-fleet, a force of 364 pilots and observers will be required. In addition, there will be forty airmen who will be trained, specifically, in the duties of naval airmanship.

But the facilities actually provided—as apart from paper schemes—are still so meagre that it will only be possible, during this year, to train a very small proportion of the corps set forth above. Thus it is to be feared that, at the end of 1912, our position will continue to compare, most unfavourably, with that of either France or Germany.

We are more than a year behind, and seem likely to remain so.