24 MAY 1919, Page 3

Another unpleasant fact is the accusation of carelessness, and even

of inhumanity, brought against the Admiralty. If people would stop to consider, they would see that it would be quite impossible for the Admiralty, with all its tremendously important national commitments (almost as great now as they were even during the war), to harness the Fleet to commercial flying. To straddle the Atlantic with watching ships of war would be to use up a considerable part of the Navy, and if once the precedent were recognized, the demands for the Navy to be used for this purpose would be continuous. Although the feat by the American seaplanes is a proof of the amazing efficiency of flying boats, we suspect that the ordinary way of crossing the Atlantic by air in future will be by airships.