NEWS OF THE WEEK W ITH the first three places in
the Melbourne Air Race secured by Mr. Scott's Comet, the Dutch- piloted American Douglas and the American Boeing respectively, the speed-race is decided, and interest now. centres in the result of the handicap. If, as seems possible, the winner turns out to be the young Australian airman, Mr. Melrose, in his little Puss Moth, his success will be almost as popular as Messrs. Scott and Black's in the speed-contest. Sir Macpherson Robertson, the donor of the prizes that made the contest possible, has said that the performance of the Dutchmen in their Douglas liner came nearest to fulfilling the aims he had in view. The reasons for that judgement are clear, and we discuss them at length on a later page. But there is one word that should be added. In view of the disposition in some quarters to make the race an excuse, for demanding an accelerated expansion of aii armaments the sane and pertinent question of Lord Londonderry, the Air Minister, as to whom we are expected to be building against at the present moment calls for an answer. If the answer given is France, public opinion will reject decisively the idea of building for a possible war with that country.
