THE AIR SERVICE.
[To Ms EDITOR or THZ "-SPECTATOR."] SIR.—Sir H. Wilson urges that really satisfactory co-operation cannot be obtained its war -without unity of command, yet he does not suggest that the Navy should be placed under the orders of the General-in-Chief. His view rests on the aSsump- tion that the Air-Service is auxiliary to' he Army and -Ncery; the opposite view rests on the aixurention that the Air Service is on a feeling' of equal importance with Army 'and- NaVy.' Even in the latter case real co-opetatiOn is necessary if the best results are to be obtained. In any particular combined: operation the respective role of the three great 'arnasAinrY, Navy, and Air Force—can only be decided in one of two ways by an authority responsible for the whole, viz., by directing the commanders of the arms, which are for the time being and the purpose in hand auxiliary, to carry out the role pre- scribed for them by, the commander,of the arm responsible fort the main part of the.operation, or by directing the operations himself. As we have no individual Isle? -is at once an-Army, Navy, and Air officer, the first alternativamust invariably be resorted to. Nevertheless, a Minister or Ministry of come kind must prescribe the proportions of the threo great arms which are to be made available for particular operations, as well as for the normal requirements of the campaign, and be respon- sible for supply and training. Is there any geed reason why the Air Service should not be. as independent of Navy end Army as the two latter are of each other?—I am, Sir, &c.,
E. H. B.
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