ABSTRACT
The naval and military representatives invited to the War Committee meetings after the winter Zeppelin raids treated their civilian masters to an arresting display of rivalry. The army memorandum concluded that the alternative to the division of responsibilities it advocated was 'a joint or independent air service, which hardly seems to be within the sphere of practical discussion at the present moment'. An interim report, produced on 20 March, made it clear that long-range bombing remained the major point of disagreement. The necessity of establishing priorities with regard to air warfare would of course have been less immediate had Britain been able to produce more aircraft. The Joint War Air Committee failed to bring order to the British air effort because it was ultimately only the child of its time.
