The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-09-18
FRANCE SAVED BY
new War EAGLES
AeropIanes Spy on Enemy's
Movements and Cause VIC
tory of Defenders
Especial Gable 10 Fhe CALI

PARIS, Sept. 17.-France has been
saved from the invading foe by her
war eagles, the aeroplanes. They have
spied out the enemy's movements and
have brought back to French command
ers information that has won the day
for the defending troops. Such at least
is the popular verdict concerning, the
annual French army maneuvers, al
though Judgment of the military ar
biters as to the result of the conflict
has not yet been made public.
Down in Picardy $4,000 men, repre-
senting all branches of the service,
were engaged in mimic war on large
scale during the week. Operations were
based on the theory that while France
was being attacked by an invading foe
(presuma bly, Germany from the direc-.
ton of Flanders. another allied force
was seeking to march on Paris by way
of Rouen and the Seine in Picardy.
wRIGHT'S DREAM REALIZED
French soldiers were gathered to re-
pei the invaders and for the first time
in the history of army maneuvers aero
planes and dirigibles have played a con-
spicuous, probably a paramount. part
in making real the dream of Wilbur
and Orville Wright. who saw In their
creation of the aeroplane the tremen-
dous advantage of an army employing
il in scout work.
General Picard former secretary of
war. who commanded one division in
Picardy. is outspoken in his tribute to
the effectiveness of the new engine of
war which. as cabled recently. has been
added to the French army as a fourth
branch of the service. He said:
Information brought me by the
aerial scouts has twice resulted in NV
rf,r1av. lar Al, .,l,o s,.r 1.
tie. These men have been able to To-
cate the enemy with precision. inform
ing me of the number and character of
the troops opposed to me-
ART OF WAR REVOLUTIONARY
General Michel. commander in chief
of the operation, is no less enthusiastio
The officers believe the art of war has
been revolutionized. New tactics will
have to be employed and new devices
invented for surprising the thanking
movement which has been EMPLOYED nv
every great general since the time OF
Alexander.
Regarding the relative merits of the
aeroplane and the dirigible, opinions
diner, but the consensus of opinion ap-
pears to be that, as each supplements
the other a combination of both is
necessary.
The aeroplane demonstrates its supe-
riority in the matter Of speed. inyul-
nerability, independence of wind and
weather, while its portability avoids
the necessity of housing, but at the
same time the excessive speed of the
machine is a drawback. as 1t makes
observation from them necessarily
vague while feeting. Twice during the
naneuver General Menier, commanding
the third corps, was compelled to send
pilot of an aeroplane back over the
scouting field to obtain more precise
information
The dirigibles. although slower and
so Offering a better target Cor the
enemy, are able to make more accura te
observations besides having the adj
vantage of being I'm constant wireless
communication with headquarters
AGGRESSIVE WORK PLANNED
The aeroplanists believe that their
lack of precision in scout duty can be
overcome by a preliminary training In
air observations.
While offensive aerial operations
have not been attempted here, General
Brun is convinced that the develop
ment of the acceptance especially in
an automatic continuance to regulate
the speed and the increase of carrying
capacity to accommodate a crew of
three or four, opens a great field for
aggressive aerial operations, such as
day and night raids for the purpose of
dropping explosives within the enemy's
lines. He believes also that the great
height to which aeroplanes are capable
of attaining constitutes an important
advantage.
DESTRUCTION OF ,DIRIGIBLES
The problem of fighting aerial war
engines also was tested, each general
having at his disposition guns mounted
on automobile field carriages, the sight
of which could be elevated to an angle
OF 20 degrees for an attack on the
dirigibles, and machine guns for use
against the aeroplanes. Theoretically.
all the dirigible balloons were de-
stroyed. while most of the aeroplanes
escaped.
Hubert Latham, the aviator. who
ranked as a private soldier during the
maneuvers. will be promoted to an
officer of the Legion of Honor.