Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-10-02
GERMANY IS
SUPERIOR IN
AERIAL WAR
Aviator Glenn ". Curiiss Says She Is Su-
perior 10 Other Countries in Ability tC
Drop Bombs from the Sky-Wonderfui
Fleet of Air Craft.

From THE AIR Fleets" by Glenn III. Cur
ti>s IN Saturday Evening Po-t.l
Germany and Austria bet seen them owl
almost. If not quite, aS many machines n.
the countries against which they are fight
ing: the average quality Of their machines
l.. | believe. better than that OF the allie~
and their pilots have had the advantage ~
very vigorous training. Germany y ID
position continually to increase her fleets
because she probably J. building machine
faster than she j. breaking them; but
France seems 10 be the only one of her OF
ponents capable of doing This. II condI
lions remain relatively unchanged the
hat suppose Germany overruns France and
destroy, or takes charge If the French
motor aud aeroplane factories. how long
viii II be- before Germany has command ~
Tie air! Between the machines she l. abl,
10 domoli~h and those that are broken ~
m the course 81 a hard campaign. II seem
Germany might soon ily ary~here without
opposition. Even granted that her land
forces are checked. ii she has free rein
IN the air, what l. 10 prevent the Zeppelin
and other huge lighter than air machines
from wrccking every city in Europe, PRO
vidlng. always, that Germany can safe
guard her own source of -drplics.
Germany has scores of these great air.
ships. Little has been heard from them
~ this writing. Aviators generally con
sider them too vulnerable to aeroplane at
tack 70 be- dangerous; % why shouldn't
Germany feel the same way about il, Why
risk the Zeppelin~ until the way j. cleared
for them! With little danger they can De
used at night for occasional foravS of
comparatively short distances. and once
the opposing aeroplane fleet, are disposed
of, If that be possible, the fleet OF Zeppe-
Inns may prove G~ermanys' salvation. Ii j.
almost impossible to think 81 \ parallel a.
the possibilities presented. III one man or
one nation could control and direct lghr
ning. striking with II whatsoever he
pleased. or could cause the earth "a quake
al hl> will. comparisons would be- easier
For These huge aerial convevanccS can
carry not pounds hut tom al explosives.
They can travel for day without stop and
AT ,wicc the speed of the fastest battle
ship. and, once tree II the air. if there l.
anything except the forces OF nature ~
cheek their activities | can not Imagine
What i may IT,.
There ha~ been much talk If the futilitv
- bombs dropped from aer.g,lane~ 81 air
ships, and the impression seems Ia prevail
thar they arr comparatively ineffective. 80
Tar a. ! have known They have been used
heretofore only IN an experimental way
against scattered troops. and on a small
scale. the bombs weighing not more than
hiteen pounds. When a single aeroplane
drops one bomb nj n time ia -nch wise
That The body ot men against whom II l.
directed l. able % mark H. course through
inc arr ana 10 Get ont Of the range Of IL
effect. little harm L. done. But III we ~o,o.
I" q different type If bomb droppine-
bombs with s~hrapnel. fire bombs and
bombs that ~rrlca~e the fumes Of deadl,
ga>-nslther cities nor large bodie, q,
men can dodge Ia cover. Ii may h. tina,
through the course of events none Of the~.
lhingS Will CONF Ia pass, that the utiiza
tlon 81 these forces will be made impoSsi.
bic through means not given consideration