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2. If an airship should be unable to descend in compliance with these signals, owing either to stress of weather, fog, breakage of machinery, or other unavoidable cause, it shall make the following reply :—

By day. Show, from the place from which they can be most clearly seen from below, a red triangular flag, together with two black balls superimposed vertically one above the other.

By night. Wave a white light, at the same time extinguishing the side lights.

Such airship shall thereafter alight at the earliest possible opportunity at some spot in the United Kingdom.

The pilots of aeroplanes or hydroaeroplanes, having observed the warning signals, must in all cases alight without delay.

3. If an aircraft fails to comply with the foregoing regulations, any commissioned officer present may take action with a view to apprehending and detaining the persons on board the aircraft, either by pursuing the same with other aircraft or, if necessary, by firing on her.

He should only permit an airship to withdraw if it is obvious that it cannot land without danger to life and limb, and if the direction in which it withdraws is not incompatible with the intention of complying with the provisions of section 2 regarding landing within the United Kingdom.

Schedule VII.

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF THE COMMITTEE OF IMPERIAL DEFENCE AND THE TREASURY CONCERNING THE REQUISITIONING OF PRIVATELY OWNED AIRCRAFT.

(1.)

December 12, 1912.

Copy of a Letter from the Committee of Imperial Defence to the Treasury. (Confidential.) Sir,

I HAVE been directed by the Secretary of State for War, in his capacity as Chairman of the Air Committee, to request that you will be so good as to obtain, for the information of the Air Committee, the opinion of the Treasury Solicitor as to whether, in a case of emergency, such as may be said to exist in time of war or during periods of strained relations, it would be permissible to requisition privately owned airships and aeroplanes-more especially the latter-under article 115, sub-section 2, of the Army Act.

I am, &c. (Signed) M. P. A. HANKEY.

(2.)

Copy of a Letter from the Solicitor to the Treasury to the Secretary of the Treasury.*

Sir,

January 17, 1913.

WITH reference to your letter of 18th December last (25045/12), transmitting a copy of a letter, dated 12th December, from the Secretary of the Committee of Imperial Defence, relative to the power to requisition privately owned airships and aeroplanes, and requesting my opinion upon the question raised therein, I beg to say that in my view it would not be lawful to requisition privately owned airships or aeroplanes under section 115 (2) of the Army Act.

* The formal covering letter from the Treasury to the Secretary of the Committee of Imperial Defence is not reproduced.

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