d aerial reservists connected with the Army
Aviation School at Mineola, Long Island.

These hawks of the air darted up and down the coast in search of
the enemy, often flying as far as eleven miles out to sea. The
inlets and bays were searched, vessels plotted, compass direction
and time when located were given.

No enemy submarines were found. It developed that the supposed
submarines were two patrol motor-boats returning from a trial
trip. Nevertheless the incident is illuminating, and the official
statement of the Navy Department closed with the words: "This
incident emphasizes the need of hydroaeroplanes for naval
scouting purposes."

It is also interesting to note what happened when Lawrence Sperry
went out to sea one day last summer in his hydroplane and failed
to return. Two seaplanes and three naval destroyers were sent in
search of him. In forty minutes the seaplanes returned with the
news that they had located Sperry floating safely on the water.
At the end of the day, after several hours of search, the
destroyers came back without having seen Sperry at all.

Those who may still believe that we Americans cannot build
aircraft and that all the exploits we read so much about in the
newspapers taking place on the other side are being done in
foreign aircraft will be surprised to know that a large number of
the big flying boats now in use in the English navy, harbour, and
coast defence work are Curtiss machines, designed and built in
this country by Americans, with American material and American
engines.

Great Britain wants all the machines of this type that it can
get, and sees no reason why we cannot do the same thing in
protecting our own Atlantic seaboard. I quote from C. G. Grey,
editor of _The London Aeroplane_:

"Curiously enough, these big flying boats originated in America,
and, if America is seriously perturbed about the fate of American
shipping and American citizens travelling by sea in the vicinity
of Europe, it should not be a difficult matter for America to rig
up in a very small space of time quite a fleet of seaplane
carriers suitable for the handling of these big seaplanes. If
each seaplane ship were armed with guns having a range of five to
ten miles, and if the gunners were practised in co-operating