into the
air above the enemy's lines. In time we shall want 25,000 to
35,000 but the smaller number will well do to open the campaign.

And what will they effect?

Do you know that to-day the eyes of an army are its airplanes?
Cavalry has disappeared practically. If a general wishes to pick
out a weak point in his enemy's line to assault he sends out
airmen to find it. If he is annoyed by the fire of some distant
unseen battery over the hills and far away he sends a man in an
airplane who brings back its location, its distance, and perhaps
a photograph of it in action. If he suspects that his foe is
abandoning his trenches, or getting ready for an attack, the
ready airmen bring in the facts.

And of course the enemy's airmen serve their side in the same
manner. They spy out what their foe is doing, and so far as their
power permits prevent him from seeing what they are doing.

Now suppose one side has an enormous preponderance of
aircraft--six to one, let us say. It is not believed, for
example, that at this moment Germany has more than 10,000
aircraft on the whole western front. Let us imagine that through
the enterprise of the United States our Allies were provided with
25,000 on one sector which we intended to make the scene of an
attack on the foe. Say the neighbourhood of Arras and Lille. For
days, weeks perhaps, we would be drawing troops toward this
sector from every part of the line. Through the reports of spies
the enemy's suspicions would be aroused. It is the business of an
efficient general to be suspicious. He would send out his
airplanes to report on the activities of the other side. Few
would come back. None would bring a useful report. For every
German plane that showed above the lines three Allied planes
would be ready to attack and destroy it or beat it back. The air
would be full of Allied airmen--the great bombing planes flying
low and inundating the trenches with bombs, and the troops on
march with the deadly flechettes. Over every German battery would
soar the observation plane indicating by tinsel or smoke bombs
the location of the guns, or even telegraphing it back by
wireless to the Allied batteries safe in positions which the
blinded enemy could never hope to find. Above all in myriads
would be soaring