Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-08-23
THE WASPS OF WAR y
French Military officials charac-
tefization Of AeropIanes.


Wartime efficiency Of the aeroplane
Is at the moment much discussed
subject among army men. 1t Is ad-
mitted by many that the possibilities
In aerial warfare have yet to be devel-
oped, but recent achievements by Louis
Bleriot and Orville Wright have given
rise to considerable speculation. There
are apparently few officers who are
prepared to assert that modern war
fare would be revolutionized by the
introduction Of feet Of Bleriot mono
planes or Wright biplanes. But there
are many who 60 so far as to say that
such feet would be Of value to any
army.
Speaking Of Bleriot's flight across
the English channel, General Brun, the
new French minister Of war, recently
characterized the aeroplane as "the
wasp Of war"
CAS- soon as 1t is perfect" he de-
clared, "the French army viii be pro-
vided with swarm Of these wasps."
The figure. according to officers Of the
regular United States army, was well
chosen. 1t illustrates, they say. ex-
actly what the mode of aerial warfare
is likely to be.
There Is plainly less skepticism
among army men concerning air craft
than formerly. Many have come to
the conclusion that it is high time to
consider seriously the adaptabfity of
aeroplanes to military purposes. It is
the signal corps, Of course, that has
taken hold Of the matter officially, but
interest has spread to every branch Of
the service.
Colonel Hsistand . Believer.
It is the opinion Of Colonel II. o. g.
Heistand, adjutant general Of the de-
partment Of the east, that the aero
plane will play an important part in
the warfare Of the future. II am not
an expert" he said the other day-''in
fact, have never seen an aeroplane
in real test. Nevertheless am con-
WINGED that our government ought to
be liberal in its appropriations for aero
nautics. There is no doubt that the
aeroplane, even in its present stage Of
development, would be Of service in
time of war.
II think that comparison Of an aero
plane to wasp is good one. It sug-
gests what could be done with a feet
Of these craft. For purposes Of rec
onnoitering and scout work a single
aeroplane would have It's place, but
with whole deet Of them an army
would be able to do considerable dam
age.
Imagine, for example, what might
be done II they were to be employed
In an attack on New York city, or any
city, for that matter. With one aero
plane going at the rate Of forty miles
an hour 1t would be difficult to do
much harm In the way Of dropping ex-
plosives or indammable materials
down upon our heads, but with feet
Of them 1t would be different. It
would then be the same as a volley
fred by troop Of soldiers. Some Of
the shots would be almost sure to take
effect.
An Aetaek ~ Sea.
Nov, suppose a fleet Of warships,
preparing an attack on New York
harbor, came equipped with lot Of
these wasps, as they have been called.
While still out Of range Of the harbor
guns they could launch their aero
planes and keep them lowering over
our Notifications, with more than an
even chance Of doing US considerable
damage. Anyway, they would make
things uncomfortable for the noncom-
batants Of the city. As for the FORTH
cations. the feet might succeed in
magazines and storehouses, and you
Ian readily imagine what that would
mean.
"All this would be accomplished
more easily with aeroplanes Of the
Wright or Bleriot type than with
dirigibles, because they would furnish
less Of target for our guns. Besides,
| they are safer. A dirigible is always
in danger of spark from its own mo-
tor, which would be sufficient to ex.
! plode the gas that supports it.
Harassed by Torpedo Boat.
Not long ago took part in some
maneuvers and was delegated to the
army Of defense. Every night the at.
lacking feet had way Of sending out
one Of those little torpedo boats. which
would come sneaking in close to shore
and give us all scare. It became nee.
essary to call out the garrison at all
hours Just because of that one tor.
pedo boat, and you can see that after
few days the army Of defense was
in sore need of good nights rest. The
men had been kept on the qui vive al.
most constantly, while the attacking
force was slumbering soundly we'll out
Of our reach.
"That is the sort oftactics, 1t seems
to me, that aeroplanes would be able
to carry out effectively. They could
worry a whole army, If they. did moth.
ing else. 1t would be sort of hit and
run game. They would be like sc
many wasps about mans head.
eff they wanted to, they could disre
gard the rules of warfare and destroy
city without warning. And there Is