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K. C. Boiling, commander of the Aviation Detachment, National Guard, New York, which was started with $12,500, also contributed through the National Aeroplane Fund, have assured the governors of the Aero Club of America of their hearty co-operation in establishing units in New York. To provide for establishing a unit in New York, the "Women of 1915" are raising $10,000. Commander Edward McC. Peters, of the Naval Reserve of New Jersey, who was presented with a hydroaeroplane through the National Aeroplane Fund, has also offered his hearty co-operation. A number of other states are anxious to establish units, and will do so as soon as funds can be raised for the purpose.
To induce states to raise funds for this purpose the executive board of the Aero Club of America, some time ago, offered to add ten per cent to any sums raised by the Militia authorities, organizations or individuals, before February 1, 1916. The club was able to do this through the generosity of Mr. Emerson McMillin, the Wall street banker, who offered to add $100 to every $900 raised for the National Aeroplane Fund up to the sum of $500,000.
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Military Aeronautics Before National Security League
At the National Security League Conference, which was held in Washington during last week, Mr. Albert B. Lambert, president of the Aero Club of St. Louis, addressed the assembled delegates on the subject of military and naval aeronautics. He said in part:
It is a conceded fact by the most eminent authorities of Europe that no great military operation on land or sea is effective to its greatest extent without the use of aviation or aeronautics. Aeronautics covers every branch of the military service.
It has the power to attack and defend. It is a valuable addition to the signal corps; it is indispensable to artillery and coast defense for range finding and spotting; it greatly facilitates the maneuvers of large bodies of troops and precedes cavalry in scouting and reconnaissance. It is even more valuable to the Navy-first, serving as a means for more perfect coordination between the Navy and our coast defense. 
For reconnaissance one aeroplane can cover the territory of three cruisers. This particularly applies to our Navy, as we are without cruisers; in fact, the aeronautical division of our Navy will have to be organized and equipped to overcome the absence of fast cruisers. This can only be done by the construction of unarmored mother aeroplane boats of sufficient speed to escape the fast cruisers of the enemy. These boats will keep in touch with our battleship fleets. They will carry from twenty-five to fifty aeroplanes of various types. In event of a sea fight, they will be placed back of the line of battleships, and, if necessary, withdrawn within protection of the coast guns.
Aeronatics is now designated as the fourth branch of the Military Service.
The strength of a chain is not greater than its weakest link. The efficiency of our Navy depends upon the coordination of all of its departments. Each department should be organized and equipped upon a relative base of efficiency. Deficiency in any one department reflects upon the entire organization. 
The aeronautical division of our Navy is so deplorably weak as to decrease the efficiency of our Navy at least twenty per cent. We rank fourth in warship tonnages and twentieth in aeronautical strength.
There is but one explanation for this condition of affairs. Congress does not realize or appreciate the value of aeronautics. That Congress is generous is evident by the total appropriation last year of over two hundred and sixty-four million dollars for military requirements, but when the General Navy Board asked for the sum of five million dollars for aeronautics, the appropriation was cut down to one million.
For whatever purpose the aeroplane makes its flight, to attack, defend or scout, there must be a separate group of officers, either for the handling of machine guns or wireless instruments. The aeroplane is but the head and eyes. Its coordinating elements must be as perfect as the system of the human body.
None of our Naval aviators have taken part in the manoeuvers[[maneuvers]] of our battleship fleets. Our Navy aeroplanes are not equipped with wireless systems, although we have a code of signals which are fairly effective as long as the aeroplane is within vision. In only one or two instances have the Navy aeroplanes assisted in spotting or range finding in cooperation with our coast defense guns. Important artillery practice has taken place without the presence of the Army aeroplanes.
In other words, we lack the essentials in the most important branch of the military service. An aeroplane hovering 700 ft. over artillery has a vision for range finding and spotting of ten miles. An aeroplane at sea flying at an altitude of 2,500 ft. can on a clear day command a vision of fifty miles. The aeroplane of today can maintain a speed from 70 to 95 miles per hour and reach an altitude of 8,000 ft. in six and one-half minutes. Captive balloons stationed near our coast defense guns are more qualified for range finding than the aeroplanes. For scouting, reconnaissance, the aeroplane is ideal. Without these means, troops, artillery and battleships are at a great disadvantage. Aeroplanes are effectively used to locate submarines and mines. An aeroplane flying over the water 200 ft. can locate a submarine without fail at a depth of 40 ft. and generally at 90 ft. 
The total number of aeroplanes fit for military service in the United States, including the Army, Navy and coast defense, does not exceed twenty. 
Mr. Henry Woodhouse, Governor of the Aero Club of America, was unable to attend the conference in person, but he sent a paper which was read to the delegates. In part he said: 
"There is an important question for you to decide: whether you want the United States to be with the first and second class powers or with their colonies. We need two thousand aeroplanes, we have but twelve, and the published estimates of the War and Navy Departments for next year provide for less than one hundred aeroplanes in all. This is the situation in a nutshell, and as the purpose of the Aministration [[Administration]] in publishing the tentative estimates is to get your opinion of how much you are willing to see the country spend in providing sufficiency in the system of defense, it is up to you to state what you want.
This country can be made fifth in aeronautical equipment by spending $25,000,000-England, Germany, France and Russia remaining at the head; or seventh, behind Austria and Italy, by cutting the allowance down to $17,500,000-or it can be left behind Japan, Spain and the Netherlands by allowing only $10,000,000. Lastly, it can be left where it is, behind the least of the other countries' colonies, by allowing less than $10,000,000.
Which do you want? Secretary Daniels and the Senators and Congressmen who head the Committees on Naval Affairs, after a conference proposed to allow only $2,000,000 for Naval aeronautics in 1916 and $1,000,000 for each year thereafter, until 1920. Money is needed in every branch of the service and they fear to propose a large expenditure.
The Navy itself shows an example of how little can be done with one million dollars. That was the sum allowed for Naval aeronautics by the last Congress. It is now practically all obligated and we did not have any aeroplanes to maneuver with the fleet in the recent war game, and we have not had over six aeroplanes in commission at any one time during the past twelve months!
"Women of 1915" Raise Fund for Coast Defense
Many patriotic and defense societies, as well as society, was well represented at the Patriotic Ball, under the auspices of the "Women of 1915," at the Biltmore last Monday evening. The object of the affair was to raise a fund to purchase an aeroplane to present to the coast defense of New York.
The ballroom was decorated in the natural colors. Army and Navy officers attended in uniform.
Mr. Henry A. Wise Wood, vice-president of the Aero Club, and chairman of the conference committee on National Preparedness, who made the address of welcome, spoke of the value of aeroplanes in warfare, and of the duty of every citizen to interest themselves in this phase of preparedness. 
Following the address, Miss Helen Herendeen appeared in interpretive dances, one being "The Spirit of Patriotism," and others on the program were Miss Mary Woolston, Miss Anne Fargo Preston, and York Averill, Miss Hazel Moore, who sang "Columbia," and Orphee Langevin, a baritone. The Old Guard Band and the Russian Balalaika Orchestra provided the music.
Flowers and programs were sold by a number of young girls, including the Misses Frances W. Miller, Christina Coles, Amelia A. Ryder, Marian Stuart, Winifred Goldsmith and Marie J. Conrad.
The officers of the national organization of "women of 1915" are: Mrs. Edward D. Mosley, president; Mrs. Marion Welsh, Mrs. John Orr, Mrs Emma M. Snedecker, vice-presidents; Miss Mary E. Coughlin, recording secretary; Mrs. C. Bynam Averill, treasurer. Others actively interested in the organization are Mrs. D. B. L. Shepard, Mrs. Grace Ellinwood, Mrs. Charles George Woodford, Mrs. J. Willoughby Mitchell, Mrs. F. W. Monell, Mrs. M. B. Claussen, Mrs. J. W. Loeb, Mrs. Walter Kilby and Mrs. Howard Taylor Lewis. 
The patrons and patronesses for the affair including Governor Charles S. Whitman and Mrs. Whitman, Mayor Mitchel and Mrs. Mitchel, Major General Leonard Wood and Mrs. Wood, Major William H. Wiley and Mrs. Wiley, Colonel Oliver N. Bridgman and Mrs. Bridgman, Mr and Mrs. Marcus M. Marks, Governor R. Livingston Beeckman and Mrs. Beeckman, of Rhode Island; Professor and Mrs. H. Fairfield Osborn, Mrs. Douglas Robinson, Mrs. Charles Dana Givson, Mr. and Mrs. Howard G. Cushing, Mr and Mrs. Austin N. Palmer, Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Close, Dr. and Mrs. Charles V. Paterno, Mr. and Mrs. John H. Hanan, Rear Admiral Robert E. Peary, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Adamson, Mrs. S. Stanwood Menken, Mrs. Charles F. Roe, Mrs. Walter Pultizer, Mrs. Noble McConnell, Mrs. Edward N. Breitung, Mrs. William Grant Brown, Mrs. J. Insley Blair, Mrs. William Cummins Story, Mrs. Daniel Guggenheim and Mrs. Simon Baruch.