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1907. May 31. Friday at Baddeck. 2-
Times Troy N.Y.
2 Mar 1907

Airships in War

The announcement from Washington a few days ago that a noted manufacturer had contracted to deliver to the War Department the largest balloon ever made in the United States, coupled with the statement that the government already possesses nine such flying machines of smaller capacity, indicates that the authorities at the national capital are not without interest in the subject of aerial locomotion. Our government has not lent itself to the work of encouraging experiments with airships as have the executives of some of the old-world nations, the policy here being to leave such matters as much as possible to private enterprise. But there is ample evidence that a vigilant watch has been kept on developments in this direction, and there has not been lacking direct aid to those engaged in such schemes. Congress at one time voted an appropriation in aid of a flying machine which held out promises of success but failed in the test of practical powers, and since then nothing more has been done in that line.

It is wise to await the outcome of the strenuous efforts of scientists and inventors to produce a flying machine that will really fly, and the country at large will sustain Congress and the executive government in going rather slowly in engaging in such undertakings. But there can be no objection to such moderate plans as are now under consideration. The balloons secured or yet to [[be]] delivered are to be used by the War [[D]]epartment in legitimate service. The intention is to try the carrying capacity [[of]] the balloons and to ascertain if they can be made available in the event of [w]ar in conveying bombs and high explosives to be thrown down on an enemy's ships or fortifications. Awful possibilities are suggested by such employment of balloons, but war is horrible [[at]] best, and if modern devices add to [[its]] terrors there is less likelihood of nations rushing into hostilities. 

The topic is not regarded with great [[se]]riousness by some of the statesmen at Washington, as was shown by the [[pr]]oposition that a subsidy be voted t[[?]] airships. Nevertheless the question ha[[s]] serious side. Progressive countries [[are]] keeping their eyes and ears open to what is going on with regard to navigating the air. The action of the German government in providing $125,00[[0]] [[?]] continuing airship experiments is [[suf]]ficiently suggestive. France is understood to have a balloon corps con[[ne]]cted with the army, and even conservative Great Britain is considering [[the]] advisability of giving sober attention to the subject. If balloons and air 


Lettura Sportiva
3 Mar 1907 Milano

Gli aeroplani e la navigazione aerea
Dovrei dire invece : l'automonilis aero, perchè ora non c'è inventor che si creda tale) di aeroplani il [?] non si revolga ad un fabbricante d[?] tori per ottenere il mezzeo primo [?] per innalzarsi nell' aria o con l'a[?] chio... o con la fantasia. 
E se fra qualche anno, come [?] fa sperare, noi avremo bello e[?] problema della navigazione aerea,[?] vremo all'automobilismo, questo mezzo di grande progresso e di vera civiltà che è ora l'anima motrice di ogni cosa. 
Si tratta infatti, ad ogni aeroplano nuovo, di cambiar più o meno forma alle ali ai piani, facendoli chi di tela, chi di aluminio o altro leggero metallo, ma la parte integrante resta sempre il motore questo ordigno che deve dar vita e, conservarla , ad un corpo morto. Ed è tutto lì il grande studio. Perciò noi crediamo che solo quando le grandi fabbriche di motori, ossia di automobili, vorranno dedicare i loro studii a questa locomozione aerea, il problema verrà più presto alla soluzione e sarà tanto di guadagnato per l'avvenire. 
Ormai la locomozione aerea entra, anzi[?] Qual...[?] Notiamo gli...[?] veramente dei buon...[?] no: quelli dei fratelli Wright...[?] quelli del Santos Dumont ed ora[?]che presentiamo del Kapferer. Di quello dei Wright non si hanno che poche no tizie e non abbastanza confermate. Del Santos Dumont in questa Rivista si sono già illustrati gli ottimi risultati ottenuti, e di questo diciamo poche parole in attesa di riparlarne ad sperimenti riusciti. L'aeroplano Kapferer, costrutto dall'ingegnere Vaisin, è composto di cellule di tela del genere di quello del Santo Dumont. Esso presents una superficie di 45 metri quadrati,

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