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AN AIR FORCE A NEED OF NATIONAL DEFENSE.

"A Navy in being" has always been said to be the only means of defeating a hostile sea force. For the identical reason an Air Force in being is the only means of defeating a hostile air force. The controlling consideration in this idea is that, in order to defeat a fighting force, it must be combatted in its own element. But this idea must be expanded in the case of an air force, which, in addition to being able to combat a hostile air force in the air, can combat a hostile sea force or a hostile army. On the other hand an army, generally speaking, can not combat a fleet, and vice versa; and neither one can combat an air force unless the air force accepts the gage of battle.

Formerly a defeated fleet could retire under protection of friendly seacoast guns where it was comparatively safe from the enemy. Now unless, in addition to the seacoast guns, we employ an adequate air force, the defeated fleet cannot be saved from the hostile air forces.

On the other hand, where there is a friendly shore based air force superior to the hostile fleet air forces, an inferior fleet can retire within protection of the fire power of the shore based air force and, after the enemy fleet has been reduced in strength by the action of friendly air forces, can go forth and attack the enemy fleet upon advantageous terms.

To return to the land situation - where two nations which engage in war have contiguous land areas it is obvious that hostile air 

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