What then are we to say of the loss of
such a man as General Trenchard in such circumstances ? As Sir Edward Carson declared, the Air Force-felt that with the departure of General Trenchard it had " lost its soul." Nearly all the principles of military flying as it is practised to-day by British airmen are to be traced to General Trenchard. The methods of flying low, by which our airmen bomb and rake with machine-gen fire the enemy's concentrations of infantry and marching troops ; =the methods of long-distance bombing by day and by night ; 'the. methods of assault and defence in the air, whether in tackling a German " circus " or individual German airmen—all these things have virtually been invented by General Trenchard. We venture to say that without these methods having been brought to their present high development it would not have been possible to delay the renewal of the German attacks so much as it actually has been delayed. Further, if the Germans become demoralized in the attempt to press their attack with its present intensity throughout the summer, we shall owe -that de- moralization as much to our flying men as to anybody. To lose such a man as General Trenchard under these conditions is as heavy a blow as the enemy could inflict upon us, and unfortunately this blow has been inflicted upon us by our own Government.
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