the the the our lash publish of the a permit say proclamation believes the are at to comment. Germany's independence. a of THE SOMME VISIT TO THE SQUADRON. (From Our Special Correspondent.) WITH THE FRENCH ARMY, Nov. I talked to-day to some of the 14 American airmen who are now working with the French Armies on the Somme. They arrived at their present quarters about a fortnight ago from the Verdun front. Sinco May, when the squadron was formed, they have between them accounted for 22 of the enemy's machines, at total cost to themselves of two killed and three wounded. Five of the 22 have been brought down by, Adjudant Raoul Lufberry, who thus becomes what in French aviation slang is called an " as." All the men, one of whom ranks as an officer and the rest as sousofficers, are, of course, volunteers. Before joining the squadron they have gone through a course in French aviation schools, including one month devoted to fancy-flying, which is an obligatory subject, and they form part of the French Army, use French machines, and are under the orders of French officers, Just after I reached their camp five of their blunt-nosed Nieuports started one after the other for the front near Péronne, a journey, including the time of the ascent, of six or seven minutes. (There WAS one innocentlooking machine, not that day in commission, standing apart by itself while the mechanic attended to its toilet, which a short time before had come from Paris, more than 65 miles off, in the incredible time of 23 minutes.) It was not, as 8 matter of fact, a good day for flying, as there was a strongish wind, and, though the air below was unusually clear, ,a broad bank of clouds at rather too low an altitude made observation rather difficult. But the Americans, some of whom had only arrived two or three days before, wanted to learn their ground, and set off in spite of the weather more with that object than in the hope of coming across enemy machines. They all looked to me an extraordinarily useful set of men, as fearless as the young lion cub which, has been adopted as the corps' mascot, and far more modest. As those who had. been out came swooping back trom their two-hour trips, deliberately clearing the tops of the trees round the camp, or the machines standing on the ground by what looked like inches, they gave some wonderfully neat displays of daring nose-dives and steep banking, and one and all were evidently complete masters of their work. But that is of course Till they are they are not allowed to join the corps. Near at hand the air was in constant state of commotion with the whirring of their motors, and in the clear distance, over the lines between the British right and Chaulnes, which is their present sphere of action, the sky was continu-. ously smudged with long trails of smoke-puffs from the shrapnel with which the Germans were vainly trying to curb their activity. The wholo squadron consists of chasers, As rule they fly at an altitude of between 6,000ft. and. 7,000ft., keeping guard over the French observation aeroplanes below them, whereas the ordinary German method is to fly their chasers * (when they do fly over the French lines) in two strata, one above the othor, the lower one considerably abovo the average altitude of the and the French. When necessary the Americans go up higher to get above any enemy who may have the temerity to attack them, but, above or below, they have certainly got the whip-hand of the Gormans, and are formidable, if small, addition to the -strength of our Allies. Somehow I do not fancy that there are any of their compatriots fighting on the other side. The individual American has no doubt as to which party in this war is in the right. are It has the say for the the and it and we less its fleet its no have The Dr. were burg show The dorff not the