The fact, he said, most be faced that we had
no machines to spare for work of doubtful profit. He expressed his firm conviction that the Government and the two Air Services were doing their best to overtake the great shortage of machines. The ordinary man had no conception how great the wastage of aeroplanes was. The average life of an aeroplane wan very much shorter than moat people imagined. Lord Montagu was especially interesting about moonlight raids. There was a groat danger, he said, that demands would be made for our airmen to go up on what he could only describe as wild-goose chases at night. What chance of success would an airman have when he could see nothing but lights below and stars above and hear nothing but the noise of his own engine ? Even if he happened to sight another aeroplane, be had to find out whether it was a hostile .machine or not The ;difficulties were immense, and for his part be regarded such attempts sea waste of men's lives and of machines. The argument which, within reason, we have tried to support, that for the greater part air raids must be endured since there teems to be no immediate cure, has thus very strong corroboration from a speaker who is well equipped with experience of flying as well as with mechanical knowledge. We hope that Lord Montagu will repeat his arguments whenever foolish clamour makes it desirable for him to do so. When we can take the wasps' nests we shall make the English coasts inviolable by German bombing machines—not before.
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