Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-08-18

MA TONS TO
FIGHT IN AIR
MAJOR 8ADEN-PoWELL MAKES
THE PREDICTION
SEES MENACE TO BRITAIN IN
AERIAL FLEETS
Noted Author of Works on Military
Tactics Says Change Will
Come in Next Ten
Years
Special Cable to The Herald.

Special Cable to The Herald.
LONDON, Aug. 17.--With the new aerial
warships of France and Germany making
successful demonstrations over Paris and
Berlin even those sceptics who refused
to take aerial navigation seriously have
become convinced that the war of the
future will be fought in, the air.
Although we are only on the threshold
of the new era in warfare, the most per-
picking and complicating problems are
harassing the great military minds OF
all countries.
Major Baden-Powell, the expert on
aerial navigation and author of works on
military tactics, in an interview, said
that the question of air warships is a
grave and important one.
"It is a question so great" he said,
that the further you go into 1t the more
complicated it seems to be. believe
there will be a time-not very far off
either, let us say ten years hence-when
we shall have an aerial navy.
1--WE ought to have an air warship
equal to the Patrie, and the new German
airship as 1t is, and should war break
out tomorrow I am afraid those coun-
tries possessing practical air warships
would have the advantage.
what we want is an English Lebandy
"a generous minded, patriotic English
man, who will put down few thousands.
Then we should, am sure, be able to get
something.
.I know one man, an engineer of high
standing, who has plans for a practical
airship, but who, from lack of money,
cannot carry them out. If the strength
of a nations power is to be in the air,
then inventors should be given every OPP
'portunity.''
Aerial Spies Menace
On the question of aerial frontiers. Mai.
Raden-Powell said: Surprising that all
nations have airships. Are they to be al
lowed to go over one another's countries,
photographing stragetic positions IN
times of peace? If you say No. l don't
see how you can prevent them.
'Tt is impossible to fire at them for as
field guns are made at present they have
not got the elevation. You may say that
new guns will be invented for firing up
wards, and L daresay they will be. But
then, if vessel in the air of another
country is fired on, what of the airship
that has drifted there by accident, or
what of the private machines?
''You see the discussion leads one into
all sorts of complications. The whole
thing is so dream-like, and yet, one day
the dream will be realized. l think, prob
ably it will be an 'unwritten law that
no air warship will be allowed in terri
torial air.
.'Another possibility is that If airships
become common wars would be no more.
Land armies would be useless, for what
would be the good of men marching over
the country with the enemy's airships
lowering over them. seeing every move
on the part of the other side? And sup
posing, for arguments sake, Germany
sent fleet of air warships over here, we
could simply retaliate by sending our air
fleet to Germany. The whole principles
of warfare would have to be revised.
at is a great question" he concluded
lone which France has fully realized
and Germany is realizing. 1 am looking
to the time when the first ship of the
English air feet sails over the land. We
must rule the atmospheric waves as much
as the waves of the sea-"
Owners of the Air
The problem of aerial frontiers was
definitely settled by Sir Thomas Barclay,
one of the worlds greatest authorities on
international law. you can assume at
once" he said, " that the atmosphere be-
longs to the country just as the rivers
and its lakes do. And if Germany for
babe French air vessels to cross her ter
ritory she is quite entitled to do so.
s'There might be a question of prox-
unity of territory. Suppose an airship is
lowering about the German frontier, but
not in what might be called German ter
ritory, it would certainly be able to pho
tograph positions and German fortifica-
lions which might lead to German pro-
test The probable result would be that
the nations would conclude an agreement
whereby military airships should not be
allowed within so many miles of the air
frontier.
"And yet I don't see very well how it
could be prevented, and I suspect that
when diplomats sit down to settle the
question the difficulties will be found to
be insurmountable.
''Since 1900 the institute of international
law has been considering the question
very seriously, but 1t has not yet found
a good basis in dealing with the question.
"Of COURSE" said Sir Thomas Barclay,
when the air warship is common we
shall probably have air warship Destroy
ers and some inventor will produce a
gun that will fire a bullet, capable Of
perforating the vessel We might even
have artificial clouds by sending up
smoke, perhaps, and thus spoil the game
of an enemy syping out the land"