Northcliffe Sure Of Oversea Flight.

New York Times 100 years ago today, April 6, 1913:
Expects Prize Will Be Speedily Won — Predicts Waterplanes Will Largely Displace Ships.
WANTS AMERICANS TO TRY
Quotes Orville Wright as Saying That Two Best Aviators of the World Are in This Country.
By LORD NORTHCLIFFE.
By Marconi Transatlantic Wireless Telegraph to The New York Times.
    LONDON, April 5.— It is only natural that the proposed flight across the Atlantic should appeal to the spirit of an adventurous people like the Americans, more especially as the great feat will have been achieved by the invention of Wilbur and Orville Wright. It cannot be too often repeated that flight in a machine heavier than air owes its origin entirely to the scientific and practical work of these, at one time, obscure young men of Dayton, Ohio.
    Before offering this prize of $50,000 for crossing the Atlantic I had many consultations with the Comte de Lambert, a friend and associate of the Wrights. I also had the honor of their friendship and advice.
    It was my confidence in their work that originally induced me to offer a prize for a flight from London to Manchester, which is about the same distance as from New York to Boston; the first oversea flight from Dover to Calais — 21 miles — and the triangular flight from London to Scotland and back of over 1,000 miles. At the time, both in the States and Great Britain, the suggestion of such flights was regarded as a joke.
    The distance between Newfoundland and the west coast of Ireland is less than 1,900 miles. Already nearly 1,700 miles has been achieved in continuous flight by an aeroplane. It is immaterial to the progress of science of flying whether the flight be made from Europe to America, or from America to Europe.
    The prize is open to the people of all nationalities.
    Orville Wright told me in Paris six weeks ago that he believed the two best flyers in the world were in the United States, and it seems to me not unlikely that the glorious distinction of being the first person to cross the Atlantic in the air will fall on one coming from your side.
    The Comte de Lambert Points out that by following the steamer tracks the flying men will scarcely be out of sight of a steamer, never out of wireless touch, and always able to obtain supplies and gasoline. The radius of sight is immensely increased at the height of 3,000 feet. I myself, in flying in an aeroplane, have seen quite plainly a church 65 miles away.
    The risks of all pioneers arc considerable, but the future is full of possibilities for the waterplane, as we will call it. The aeroplane or landplane has to compete with the railway, automobile, and other means of locomotion. The waterplane competes only with that means of travel which men like least — a ship.
    I am not fond of prophecy, but I look forward with absolute confidence to the day when oversea travel will be achieved almost entirely in the air. The development of the waterplane on the lines of size is taking place rapidly. We are already in England building one of 800 horse power. The Comte de Lambert believes that within ten years these machines will travel from New York to England between daylight and dark on a Summer's day.
    So far as Great Britain is concerned, the development of water-planes for the defense of our fleet and coast is absolutely essential. Foreign nations are building gigantic dirigible gas balloons which might or might not be used against us.
    My chief object in offering this prize, and also a prize for the circuit of Great Britain, is to perfect what I believe to be the best means of air defense for my country and the most certain engine for the destruction of these balloons. NORTHCLIFFE.