The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-12-22
GERMANS NOW DEMAND
VAST AIRSHIP FLEET
Urge That Quest Of Supremacy
at Sea Be Abandoned for
Supremacy in Air
ANSWER TO midas GIFT
Sauadrons Of Aerial Craft to Be
Armed With Most Powerful
Explosives
BERLIN. Dec. 81.

The remarkable proposal that Ger
many should give up the struggle for
the supremacy or the sea ana turn her
attention 10 winning the supremacy OF
the air has been put forward here as
an answer to the report that India is
proposing 70 offer twelve warships to
the British navy.
The report of the proposed Indian gift
has indeed, aroused extraordinary in
terest and discussion here. In many
cases the London correspondents OF the
newspapers have endeavOred 10 show IN
their dispatches that the gift has been
forced from the Indian princes by the
British government while some or the
better papers have insisted that Eng
land would be unable TO man these
ships. even should the story OF their
gi.t turn out 10 be we'll founded.
Two Views
The principal question being asked
everywhere, however, is: What are We
going to do?" And already public optn~
ion has divided itself into two CURRENTS
On one side there is demand Tor lur-
ther shipb uilding; on the other side
and here the body of opinion Is the
larger-it is being urged that Germany
should stop the futile and expensive
lighting for the mastery of the sea. ana
devote all the available Imperial re-
sources to obtaining the mastery or the
air
This view finds voice in the National
Zeitung. which makes the sensational
suggestion that the best course would
he for Germany to build a monster
Neet of a hundred Zeppelins. which.
while they would cost only as much as
one dreadnought and would need fewer
men. would eventually cause havoc In
the enemy's (England being the enc
N.Y. fleet.
with a feet OF hundred Zeppehns'
SAYS the writer. divided into twenty i've
souadrons of four airships each, able to
trav., over land or over sea for at least
fortv-eight hours. each aIrship built TOT
the sole purpose of carrying vast guam
rites OF explosives Germany would RUS
,ha air and would eventually conquer tho
sea-"
Popular Proposal
This proposal for a feet of a hunoreo
Zeppelns is sure to be popular through
out Germany, where the recent fears OF
the Zeppelin airships have made every
one forget the long series OF disasters IN
which this class of airship has figured
1t Is pointed out that it would be Mt
ting reply TO the proposed Indian gift to
the british navy. but no answer is avail
able to the question whether the Zeppelin
works at Friedrichshafen would be abe
to build such a fleet before the lndislh
dreadnoughts could be ready.
The one point on which all are agreed
is that little can be done unless imperial
funds are placed literally at Count Yep
peiins disposal.
By curious coincidence with the an
nouncement of the proposed Indian GIT
to the British navy. the German admit
ralty states that the government mas
taken several safety" measures regard
ing she North sea defenses- The garrisons
at Cuxhaven and Wanderoog are 20 De
largely increased, while the home Meet is
to receive an additional division Win
three battleships. and two additional
cr,5isers are TO be commissioned with each
home feet division