Nevertheless, there are straws which show how the wind is blowing. German citizens and clubs which purchase a type of airship approved by the War Office of the German Empire are to receive a substantial subsidy, with the understanding that in case of war the aircraft is to be at the disposal of the Government. Under this plan it is expected that the German Government will control a large fleet of ships of the air without being obliged to own them.
And, in France, funds were raised recently, by popular subscription, sufficient to provide the nation with a fleet of fourteen airships (dirigibles) and thirty aeroplanes. These are already being built, and it will not be long before France will have the largest air-fleet afloat.
The results of the German manœuvres with a fleet of four dirigibles in a night attack upon strong fortresses have been kept a profound secret, as if of great value to the War Office.
In the United States the Signal Corps has been active in operating the Baldwin dirigible and the Wright aeroplanes owned by the Government. To the latter, wireless telegraphic apparatus has been attached and is operated successfully when the machines are in flight. In addition, the United States Aeronautical Reserve has been formed, with a large membership of prominent amateur and professional aviators.
Some military experts, however, assert that the dirigible is hopelessly outclassed for warfare by the aeroplane, which can operate in winds in which the dirigible dare not venture, and can soar so high above any altitude that the dirigible can reach as to easily destroy it. Another argument used against the availability of the dirigible as a war-vessel is, that if it were launched on a wind which carried it over the enemy’s country, it might not be able to return at sufficient speed to escape destruction by high-firing guns, even if its limited fuel capacity did not force a landing.
Even the observation value of the aircraft is in some dispute. The following table is quoted as giving the ranges possible to an observer in the air:
| Altitude in feet. | Distance of horizon. | |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | 30 | miles. |
| 1,000 | 42 | “ |
| 2,000 | 59 | “ |
| 3,000 | 72 | “ |
| 4,000 | 84 | “ |
| 5,000 | 93 | “ |
As a matter of fact, the moisture ordinarily in the air effectually limits the range of both natural vision and the use of the camera for photographing objects on the ground. The usual limit of practical range of the best telescope is eight miles.
All things considered, however, it is to be expected that the experimenting by army and navy officers all over the world will lead to such improvement and invention in the art of navigating the air as will develop its benevolent, rather than its malevolent, possibilities—“a consummation devoutly to be wished.”