It is gratifying to-learn, from:his address at the opening of
the third Air Conference onAluesday, that Sir Samuel Hoare, the new Air. Minister, is a supporter- of civil aviation. He considers that this - should_ be furthered by. encouraging research, by the support of the industry and by promoting the Cross-Channel and Imperial services. lie makes the excellent suggestion that,. with a view to developing the cross-Channel services, firms should be sufficiently subsidized and contracts be made sufficiently big to enable them to -exploit their own ideas and use their Own capital with as little departmental interference tit possible. -Sir Samuel tonSiders that, owing to the -present weakness of our air defences, a larger outlay must be assigned, 'at least temporarily, 'to military aviation. But it is clear that, in the long run, an -active and efficient system of research and experi- ment' and the existence of an •organization Of civil machines and personnil capable of cony ersiod to military uses in case of war, form the most economical basis for a military air force. In other words, while to give military considerations the first place tends -to cripple civil aviation, to -concentrate actively on the civil side would be the hest possible provision for war.
Previous page
