THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



109 



experience the possibilities and the meth- 

 ods of handling an aero division made up 

 of brigades of aero squadrons. 



SUBMARINE SECONDARY TO AIRPLANE 



The submarine, an American invention 

 perfected abroad, ranks at present with 

 the airplane as a revolutionary device, 

 but in my opinion it will soon take second 

 place. 



The fundamental limitations of the 

 airplane are less than those of the sub- 

 marine. It possesses potentialities of 

 offensive in the air, on the sea surface, 

 and under the sea. In other words, air- 

 planes can attack other planes or dirigi- 

 bles, they can attack ships, and they can 

 attack submarines. 



The possibilities of the submarine can 

 and probably soon will be confined to 

 under-surface offensive. The range of 

 the airplane is much greater than that of 

 the submarine. To the flying machine 

 sea or land is all the same. It can go 

 wherever there is air. In the case of 

 nearly all European nations, except Great 

 Britain, the land phase of flying will prob- 

 ably be the most important. With us 

 the reverse is the case and our geographi- 

 cal position and thousands of miles of 

 coasts make the marine phase most im- 

 portant to us. 



It must be fully recognized, as a matter 

 of permanent national policy, that the 

 air fleets of the United States must be 

 both numerous and powerful enough to 

 patrol and protect all sea approaches to 

 the entire continent of North America. 



AMERICA RICH IN AVIATOR MAN-AND- 

 WOMAN POWER 



As regards aviation personnel, the 

 United States is uniquely favored. In 

 numerical strength we surpass every 

 other nation except Russia and China. 

 The Lafayette Escadrille in France has 

 already given the world a practical illus- 

 tration of the kind of aviators Ameri- 

 cans make. 



Along our thousands of miles of coasts 

 there is a quantity and quality of per- 

 sonnel that is among the most valuable 

 assets of this country. It is the per- 

 sonnel composed of the young boatmen, 

 fishermen, sailors, and those who have 

 been brought up beside and earned their 

 living on and by the ocean. They con- 



stitute the nucleus of a personnel which 

 is hardy, courageous, enduring; knows 

 the sea and its ways ; has the sense of 

 navigation born in it, and above and be- 

 yond all has the quality of individual 

 initiative and the power of instant execu- 

 tion developed to the highest degree. 



Take the young fellow who, from the 

 age of six or eight, has been handling his 

 own boat, and from the age of 12 or 14 

 has, singlehanded, driven his fishing boat 

 daily offshore almost out of sight of 

 land, made his day's haul, and has driven 

 his craft back home again in the teeth 

 of all kinds of weather. I know this 

 breed well. I have cruised with them 

 many an hour. I can feel the salt spray 

 of 45 years ago upon my face and in my 

 eyes now. I know their capabilities — 

 rosy-cheeked, clear-eyed, fearless, alert, 

 and quick as a cat. 



These youngsters can take their motors 

 apart and put them together again with 

 eyes shut, and they can keep them going 

 under all circumstances, in a way that 

 at times seems almost unbelievable. 



They have been forced to this by the 

 supreme incentive of safety for one's 

 own life. When fighting the breaking 

 seas of an easterly gale off the Maine 

 coast, if motor trouble develops the cause 

 of it must be determined at once and the 

 remedy applied instantly. If not, the 

 little boat broaches to, a sea comes roar- 

 ing aboard, and the life story of that par- 

 ticular youngster comes to a full period. 



In considering the air personnel re- 

 sources of America, the patriotism, intre- 

 pidity of spirit, and energy of the young 

 women who are anxious to fly must not 

 be overlooked. That women can become 

 skilful aviatrices has been splendidly 

 demonstrated by the brilliant achieve- 

 ments of Miss Ruth Law and Miss Kath- 

 erine Stinson. 



war's birdmen to peay useeue role in 

 PEACE TIMES 



That the young men who are training 

 for fliers in war service will have an 

 important and useful role to play in 

 the commercial, industrial, and scientific 

 growth of aviation is apparent. 



When peace comes thousands of men 

 and thousands of planes will be required 

 for the mail service of the future, for 

 policing the air, for aerial coast patrol, 



