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《The War in the Air《空中战争》》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在学术论文-天天文库。
1、PREFACETOREPRINTEDITIONThereadershouldgraspclearlythedateatwhichthisbookwaswritten.Itwasdonein1907:itappearedinvariousmagazinesasaserialin1908anditwaspublishedintheFallofthatyear.Atthattimetheaeroplanewas,formostpeople,merelyarumourandthe"Sausage"heldtheair.Thecont
2、emporaryreaderhasalltheadvantageoftenyears'experiencesincethisstorywasimagined.Hecancorrecthisauthoratadozenpointsandestimatethevalueofthesewarningsbythestandardofadecadeofrealities.Thebookisweakonanti-aircraftguns,forexample,andstillmorenegligentofsubmarines.Much,
3、nodoubt,willstrikethereaderasquaintandlimitedbutuponmuchthewritermaynotunreasonablyplumehimself.TheinterpretationoftheGermanspiritmusthavereadasacaricaturein1908.Wasitacaricature?PrinceKarlseemedafantasythen.RealityhassincecopiedPrinceCarlwithanastonishingfaithfuln
4、ess.Isittoomuchtohopethatsomedemocratic"Bert"maynotultimatelygetevenwithhisHighness?Ourauthortellsusinthisbook,ashehastoldusinothers,moreespeciallyinTheWorldSetFree,andashehasbeentellingusthisyearinhisWarandtheFuture,thatifmankindgoesonwithwar,thesmash-upofciviliza
5、tionisinevitable.ItischaosortheUnitedStatesoftheWorldformankind.Thereisnootherchoice.Tenyearshavebutaddedanenormousconvictiontothemessageofthisbook.Itremainsessentiallyright,apamphletstory--insupportoftheLeaguetoEnforcePeace.K.THEWARINTHEAIRCHAPTERIOFPROGRESSANDTHE
6、SMALLWAYSFAMILY1"ThishereProgress,"saidMr.TomSmallways,"itkeepson."You'dhardlythinkitcouldkeepon,"saidMr.TomSmallways.ItwasalongbeforetheWarintheAirbeganthatMr.Smallwaysmadethisremark.HeassittingonthefenceattheendofhisgardenandsurveyingthegreatBunHillgas-workswitha
7、neyethatneitherpraisednorblamed.Abovetheclusteringgasometersthreeunfamiliarshapesappeared,thin,wallowingbladdersthatflappedandrolledabout,andgrewbiggerandbiggerandrounderandrounder--balloonsincourseofinflationfortheSouthofEnglandAeroClub'sSaturday-afternoonascent."
8、TheygoesupeverySaturday,"saidhisneighbour,Mr.Stringer,themilkman."It'sonlyyestiday,sotospeak,whenallLondonturnedouttoseeaballoongoover,andnowever
