New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-29
Number Germany Has Is a
Mystery, but 1t May
Be Considerable.
ENEMY'S AIR TACTICS
ARE NOT YET CLEAR
Secret ZeppelinS, Empowered
and Eq"lpped for Long Jour-
neyS, May Menace England.
[ny cabIo to The Tribune. /

London, Sept. Discussing the
mystery surrounding Germany's scant
use of Rirships In the war thus far, and
her possible intention to keep them
under cover until the German fleet gets
into action, the naval correspondent Of
"The Morning Post" writes to-day as
follows:
"The first thing to ascertain is the
number Of airships possessed by Ger
many. That number, however, is pre-
cisely what cannot be ascertained with
accuracy, for Germany keeps these
things very secret"
Some surprising information is con-
tanned in remarkable work just pub
lished by Messrs. Werner, Laurie &
Co, The Secrets of the German War
Office by DR.. A. K. Graves, described
on the title page as The late spy . to
the German government DR.. Graves
states that Germany has three times
the number Of airships officially stated
to exist-that is, thirty-six, or per-
haps more. Twelve of these are said
by DR.. Graves to be constructed upon
secret devices which make them
extraordinarily light and uninfamma-
bic and of very wide range of travel.
Besides the thirty-siS military air
ships, DR.. Graves states that the num-
Der of transportation airships in use
would raise the total to fifty. Fifty
airships would make a formidable fleet.
"Dr. Graves states that the Zeppelin
Parseval, carrying twenty-five men and
twelve tons Of explosives, has in time
of peace crossed the North Sea, passed
over London and returned to Germany.
He also states that in 1912 Zeppelin
crossed from Stettin over the Baltic to
Upsala, in Sweden, back across the Bal
tic to Riga and thence to Stettin, 976
miles in all, carrying twenty-five men
and five tons weight. According to DR..
Graves, there are air stations at
Strassburg, Frankfort-on Main, Posen,
Wilhelmshayen and Berlin, and espe-
cially at Heligoland.
"On that island theer are three or
four airship sheds, perfectly equipped,
and kept ready for instant action by
da yor night. These vessels are said
by DR.. Graves to have range Of 1000
to 1900 or 1,400 kilometres, to be cap
able of carrying 81 men. quick-fring
guns and tons of explosives, with a
capacity for carrying double that
amount Of explosives il. required. The
bombs are said to kindle cOnhagration
upon impact.
"The reader must form his own judg-
ment Of the accuracy Of these state
ments. 1t is clear that if they are
even partially true an attack by air
ships upon a large town would be a
devastating affair. 1t is more curious
that the attacks already made shall be
comparatively innocuous.
Basil BUST in the course Of an
article contributed to these pages of
September 9 last stated that Germany
could not have more than couple Of
dozen Zeppelins. He also remarked
that one of the bombs dropped into
Antwerp on August Is was Of a type
designed to penetrate the steel deck of
a warship. 1t had casing an inch thick,
a diameter of ten inches and percus-
sion cap loaded with picrite 1t seems
that such is the weapon which may be
used against British warships."