At the 14th Annual Banquet of the Aero Club of America, Rear Admiral Fullam stated: ""The world is facing a new era, an era which will bring aeronautics to the front and give it a proper place in peace and war...The aeroplane will be the dominating factor in future wars on land and sea...It is the duty of every naval officer to study and develop the usefulness of the aeroplane as a weapon. In this we must lead the world, we must not follow.""