OCCASIONAL NOTE

The announcement that a passenger aerial service is likely to be established immediately between London and Paris is of great interest and suggests an easy solution of the problem of what is to become of the huge number of aeroplanes which owe their existence to the war. While it is improbable that armaments will disappear, even should the successful conclusion of the war bring in its train the creation of an Amphictyonic Council, it is nevertheless unlikely that aeroplanes for military purposes will continue to be required on the scale suggested by Germany’s preliminary surrender of no fewer than 2,000. The aeroplanes required for military purposes will always be of the latest type and those which now exist in such enormous numbers are likely before many years are over to appear hardly less antiquated than does Stephenson’s Rocket beside a modern locomotive. The existing types, however, should render excellent service in pioneering aerial services all the world over, and some of them may eventually assist Mr. Geoffrey Clark to perfect the schemes already drafted by the Indian Post Office for the aerial conveyance of mails between Rangoon and Calcutta and Calcutta and Cawnpore. The London-Paris aeroplane service may become as famous in the history of locomotion as the Liverpool-Manchester railway service, and its revolutionary effect on methods of transport no less important than that epoch-marking event.

TRAGIC DEATH OF OFFICER S WIFE

A sad accident occurred at Fort Sandeman on the 10th instant, as a result of which Mrs. Turner, wife of Captain J.T. Turner, I.A.R.O., Indian Educational Service, Zhob Militia, met her death. The unfortunate lady was examining a loaded pistol when it went off and caused her instantaneous death. Much sympathy is felt for Captain Turner, who was out of the station on tour at the time, and for his infant daughter.

AIRMEN BUSY IN THE BATTLE AREA

A British communiqué, referring to aviation, says: We dropped forty-three tons of bombs on selected targets. A concentrated attack was made on the railway junction at Aulnoy, where we blew up an ammunition train and set fire to rolling stock. Photographs show that great damage and much disorganisation was caused at this centre of enemy communication. We heavily bombed Lille and Valenciennes stations and many targets in the battle area. We destroyed fifteen hostile machines and drove down five out of control. We also compelled another to land in our lines. We shot down nine balloons in flames. Eight British machines are missing. One British machine reported missing has now returned. Night flying was almost impossible, but before dawn a squadron dropped a ton of bombs. All our machines returned.