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The Battle for Transport
Likely to be Won by Railways.

“I am on the whole sceptical of the commercial future of the aeroplane, and in the struggle between the old and new forms of transport I think that the ultimate victory after all will be with the railways.“— “Candidus”, in the “Daily Sketch,” London.

Is any good coming to mankind through learning to fly? Most of us have ceased to take much interest in the long-distance flights to which some newspapers attach such enormous importance; if an airman were now to fly round the world without stopping it would cause much less admiration and astonishment that did the first flight of Bleriot's across the Channel. But now that the aeroplane has ceased to astonish the world it must depend for its future fame on its usefulness. Is it ever going to be really useful? I have grave doubts.

I an not questioning the importance of flying as a form of sport. It provides thrills for the adventurous, and there must be great excitement in the acrobatics of the air and in long-distance solitary flights. But the oftener these things are done the less the excitement, until in the end I should imagine the intrepid airman will get more fun out of a five-mile country walk than out of a trip across Europe. I once knew a millionaire whose whim it was to ask a couple of friends to an early luncheon and then take them to tea on the Lido. As a freak entertainment it must have been exciting the first time, but would anyone enjoy it a second or a third time? The best way of getting to the Lido is to take a sleeper and make yourself comfortable for the night. If you are an average man, there is nothing gained in hurling yourself at these terrific speeds from one end of a continent to another. A millionaire or a Prime Minister may find the gain of time worth the discomfort, but that is their misfortune. The average man is not such a slave of time, and he thinks far more of comfort in travel than of any increase of speed over sixty miles an hour. Most of us who have done much motoring have already come to the conclusion that for distances above fifty miles the train is by far the more preferable means of transport. You can read in a train, go to bed, shave, write letters, and take a little stroll. An extra sixty miles an hour is a poor compensation for the loss of these advantages. At present the world is speed-crazy. In a few years, when the novelty wears off, we shall put it in its due place in our scheme of values.

I am on the whole sceptical of the commercial future of the aeroplane, and in the struggle between the old and new forms of transport I think that the ultimate victory after all will be with the railways.—“Candidus.”

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