of feverish activity. The enemy submarines were withdrawn from
our shipping routes and merchant ships could traverse the sea in
safety except for the occasional danger of drifting mines. "What
is to be the future of the airship?" is the question which is
agitating the minds of innumerable people at the present moment.

During the war we have built the largest fleet of airships in the
world, in non-rigids we have reached a stage in design which is
unsurpassed by any country, and in rigid airships we are second
only to the Germans, who have declared that, with the signing of
the peace terms, their aircraft industry will be destroyed. Such
is our position at the present moment, a position almost
incredible if we look back to the closing days of the year 1914.
Are we now to allow ourselves to drift gradually back to our old
policy of supineness and negligence as existed before the war?
Surely such a thought is inconceivable; as we have organized our
airship production for the purposes of war, so shall we have to
redouble our efforts for its development in peace, if we intend
to maintain our supremacy in the air.

Unless all war is from henceforth to cease, a most improbable
supposition when the violence of human nature is considered,
aircraft will be in the future almost the most important arm.
Owing to its speed, there will not be that period of waiting for
the concentration and marching of the armies of the past, but the
nation resolved on war will be able to strike its blow, and that
a very powerful and terrible one, within a few hours of the
rupture of negotiations. Every nation to be prepared to counter
such a blow must be possessed of adequate resources, and unless
the enormous expense is incurred of maintaining in peace a huge