Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-15
WHY ENGLAND MAY
FEAR NEAR RAID OF
GIANT ZEPPELINS
British General Shows That
Air Invasion of London is
2ossible-SeeS No Good
Means of Defense.

ho,bardment by zeppelins Is the subject
- ,bo leading article that appears In
,ro 1uly issue of The Journal of the
E po,.o1 United Service Institution of Great
prttain the organization of the officers
If the British army and navy In the
article a general officer points out the
dangers that may hover over London
In n time of war, dangers that he frankly
admits are serious in extent and which
might be difficult to oppose in the event
~ an airship invasion Of England.
4 In wireless dispatch from Berlin It
i xas asserted that Germany was consider
4 Inc invading England with a fleet Of new
j v.r,sIins, Thus the article in The Journal
- tba Roval United Service Institution
4. of timely interest. 1t begins with IL
sacital of the havoc that might be
s. ,,roupht on navy yards. arsenals oil
& rssorvoirs and wireless stations by pro-
ssct,Ies droppcd from Xeppelns and aero
8 nlanes. and then goes on TO recite the
hangers of an air attack on the great
q centres Of population. On this latter point
:. most of the space is devoted to London.
"Of these London Is for u.s." the British
.o,ere1 states, 1.-THE prime object OF con-
q s,deration. Destruction and panic in tho
;aruest provincial towns could cause trou
4 H. h,t need not affect our national
no,Icv. London In this respect stands
aaione-that Is, 1t is not only the habitat
~ a large fraction of our population,
Sut also the seat Of Government, the
centre of our financial and business sys-
TENS and the nerve centre of our military
and naval forces. A serious blow aimed
against London would be more effective
.l,a
ospital in the world.
FACING A NEW ERA.
.vye are now beyond doubt face to
face with new era in war. If YOU have
granted my assumption with regard to
the range Of action and offensive power
or aircraft of the Immediate future
those assumptions would hold good for
one object as well as another. How is
London affected by them? General
pelacrox in an article in the Daily Mail
OF September H. 1913, wrote:
"'Even admitting that Zeppelin
we're to pass over the English country
side it is not easy to see what result
would be effected, for even in time of
war it would not be permissible to drop
explosives into unfortitied towns
~ have no wish to be an alarmist or
10 make ones flesh creep. but | am not
prepared to accept this dictum even
from so eminent an authority. The idea
Of not bombarding unfortifed towns had
its origin many years ago In the time
OF perpetual war in Europe, and like
most Of the rather artllcal conventions
of that time rested on mutual convent |
ence. An unfortifed town in those days
was not of much Importance one way
or the other 1t was not expected to
offer resistance If it was spared bonn |
bardment tho enemy In return expected |
TO occupy 1t without any trouble and |
take full advantage of its convcnienCes !
for billetlng, supplies, etc.
"1f q Geneva convention were now |
sitting and the point were to be raised |
that a capital which Is easily accessible |
to tho enemy may claim exemption from |
attack on the ground that it Is unfortI- |
fled, would not the answer be Yes, pro-
Vided that II Is prepared to submit and
not offer armed resistance to the encmys
armed forces? And whether the armed
forces take the form of troops ready to
advance or of the power to destroy re-
sistance by attack from the air, the
principle Is the same.
After all, war is game that Gov
erhmcnts play to win, and we could
hardy expect the most chvalrous enemy
10 refrain from striking a blow at the
heart OF the country merely because we
have chosen to leave that heart unpro-
tected
Can any student of international law
Toll ua definitely that such thing as
an aerial attack on London Is outside
'he rules of war. and further that there
eAHts an authority by which these
rules can be enforced? How, if many
OF tne citizens are territoriala, and some
pt tne buildings contain warlike stores?
IL II night of neroplanes passed over the
guy, each dropping a dozen incendiarv
Donos In different places, would not the
iES,ut he more than the fire brigade
could cope with?
COULD CAUSE HAVOC.
III Zeppelin dropped ton OF run
cotton on the Admiralty and the War
oHee' as she might DO if not interfered
"''n' "nat would be the result in dis
D'sahizaton and Encouragement? What
"oud he the effect of cutting off the
wafer supply OF the East End, or sink
ns the food ships in the Thames? These
,nnss seem Incredible to us who have
,a,, ,siS SHOWN wars on the frontiers. | am
,ra,,,s 10 90 the length OF my own
o1,Jl1' put II It Is conceded that
'y''uu.t he.,,, Is within the range of action of
hostile Zeppelin or two and a flight Of
,il p'ahes such action will soon be pos
NM Z, @ ''l'u inns IS the age of the knock
,srd"" yo" IA everything Would any ruler
'an say? 1i se''oh' VINO
i%o, % II seemed probable that such a
,or,, panic would be caused as to
m .nns,' " nome Government to accept
pipbt t'l I''Ie peace. then il. perhaps, ]
dim uo"e' For any less object tho
Thu maps would not be incurred.
he ing,,.'S' a. "l course, the question of
ions r',,' ot London's financial rela- {
Danar,s WIN other countries, but IL that
var r. @ wa not prevail to prevent the
low ~ Io'ia prevail to prevent the !
what IS the defspesa l., a., At
ana. 'ahlhg INTO account the size of
atraI u seems that no system of aerial =
lrirItr 'o4d prevent am attack by t
d ~, u@Hnon, \ deliberate attempt a
ans ~, gwen building might per
as vog prevented, but II the balloons .
I'M III exploited and she fell in flames }
iy niort YET cargo of explosives the rem Il
"Asrg,tI s'tS pe as bad as the disease.
10 b,, p'aHe attack on London Is possI-
asv IS not so formidable nor so
= sssn ItoDlanes coming By day might
a Sor a"u ensaged by our own patrols C
lat me Hsht attack. / should think
ouId NV uFeflng over London in the dark
onditi,r dangerous risk In present
nat,aita, DO not think anv system $
ON rs.at5 Gdn entirely prevent aircraft /,
hen ,S.u'Hs London, and doing damage -
leet 10y get there. The only way no | =
lr own .,ir'.nt[l nals%l IS TO provide enough of :