Vol. XXXIII, No. I WASHINGTON 



January, 1918 



THE 



ATDONAL 



AMERICA'S PART IN THE ALLIES' MASTERY 



OF THE AIR 



By Major Joseph Tulasne 



Chief of the French Aviation Mission to America 



THE summer of 191 7 was marked 

 by very spirited air battles for the 

 supremacy of the air. 



During those battles the losses of the 

 Allies were great and those of our ene- 

 mies still greater. 



At the present time we are profiting by 

 the lull which the winter rains have 

 caused in air raids and are organizing 

 large fleets of well - armed and well- 

 equipped planes for the spring 1918. 



The aerial program of the Allies is a 

 mighty one; that of the enemies is just 

 as mighty. Every one is convinced to- 

 day of the importance of the supremacy 

 of the air throughout 191 8. 



The American people have understood 

 admirably the part which American avia- 

 tion is to play in this gigantic struggle, 

 and the enthusiasm of the American peo- 

 ple and their determination to intervene 

 in order to blind the army of the enemy 

 has enabled Congress to pass an aviation 

 bill calling for an appropriation of $640,- 

 000,000. 



The officers in charge of the organiza- 

 tion and development of American avia- 

 tion and the business men who have spon- 

 taneously offered their services and busi- 

 ness experience have done a great deal 

 during the last six months. Aviation 

 schools have sprung up all over the coun- 

 try. Several of them are at present work- 



ing at full speed. Hundreds of pilots, 

 full of dash, are being trained, and they 

 are going about their work with the same 

 zeal which they formerly displayed on the 

 football field at college. 



arrival of America's air fleet 

 anxiously awaited 



American engineers have designed and 

 constructed a powerful motor, and the 

 workshops for motors and airplanes are 

 fully organized for the task ahead of 

 them ; but if these machines are not ready 

 in time, provisions have been made in 

 France and outlier Allied countries to place 

 the necessary airplanes at the disposal of 

 American aviators, so that they will be 

 able to take part in the air battles in the 

 early spring of this year. 



On the whole western front, extending 

 from the North Sea to Switzerland, the 

 arrival of the American air fleet is anx- 

 iously awaited. This fleet must consist 

 of a mighty battle squadron and a mighty 

 bombing squadron as well. ' 



The battle fleet is the decisive element 

 in securing and maintaining supremacy 

 in the air. But the Allies must also have 

 a large number of pursuit squadrons, 

 efficiently armed and piloted by daring 

 aviators. 



The American fleet of battle planes will 

 enable the Allies to secure the indisputa- 

 ble mastery of the air. 



