The Washington times., 1908-08-02
Air Battles Unlikely.

The test of airships at Fort Myer
beginning Monday is under Government
auspices, and it may be assumed that
it will do much to interest people who
have hitherto given little attention to
the subject of aeronautics and to the
great advances made in recent years
in navigation of the air. The Govern
ment of the United States, like those of
all other countries, has been forced TO
take cogniZance of this development
and to prepare for the various uses the
siderable balloon and the airship may
be found to fill in war.
Probably no one thing has done more
20 impress people who have given little
thought to the question OF air nayiga
ton with the possibilities in war than
the recent exploits of the German,
Count Zeppelin, who has demonstrated
that the balloon is capable of a wide
range Of action. He has Travelled in
one $50 miles, keeping 1t under perfect
control. and has remained in the air
twelve hours. He now proposes to
show that he can remain in the air
I twentv-four hours ana travel 400 miles,
in addition TO meeting other tests
which the German government requires
before accepting the machine.
/ While Germany is showing its inter
est in aeronautics, having built FIVE
airships in all, and France, which has
really shown the way in conquering the
air. has built or is building seven,
Great Britain and Italy have two each.
/ It is manifest in many ways that navi-
/ CATION of the air has come to a point
where no nation, considering the ques-
ton from a military standpoint, can
afford to neglect 1t.
/ Of course, the thing that most affects
public Imagination in connection with
the subject is the use Of the airship in
war. There is something thrilling in
the thought OF transferring hostilities
from terra firma to, the sky, and now
and then we see disquieting predictions
about what may happen when the air
ship and the dirigible balloon are
brought to so great a state of perfec-
tion that man Is as much at home in
the clouds as he is in the water or on
land. 1t is comforting and reassur-
ing, therefore, TO read in the London
/ Spectator some of the difficulties in the
way of military use of the airship ex-
cept for scouting, in which capacity
it has shown its worth.
. The Spectator points out that there
can be no such thing as invasion by
an airship, because it cannot be used
as a transport, and while it might dc
more or less damage it cannot carry
7 troops. As an offensive machine it
does not think that the airship will
, ever be able to carry guns that car
, shoot horizontally and must rely upon
dropping explosives. Accuracy, how
. ever, in dropping from a height is very
dimcult, and since airships in the effort
/, TO escape from the enemy viii be forced
higher ana higher there does not seen
to be much reason to fear their offensive
, power. OF course, the ai~ship must keeT
out of range from guns on the earth
, since its construction is such that g
t single shot might destroy it.
These are but a few of the impedi
ments which confront fighting in th'
5 air, but they do not draw into question
I the value OF the airship as means o.
/ scouting. Wherefore it would be folly
e for this Government to ignore the rapid
steps that are being made in producing
8 ships and balloons that ga s00 Il.