Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1914-11-12

AWO OuAGckA dAu HSCTELdk5 WA0SS
sole duty Ii was to acquaint and make
themselves perfectly familiar with
everything in that particular locality.
Through the far-reaching system Of
espionage. the latest and most up-to-
date information Is always forthcom-
ing, and time and again myself, often
returning from a mission like one OF
those to the naval base In Scotland.
have sat BY the hour verbally aulplify-
Ing my previous reports.
A part OF the intelligence system 10
the personality squad. whose duty it
| is to acauaint themselves with the per
sonaiity OF every army and navy off,
Ger Of the leading powers.
Aerial Weapons
Within the last few years an en-
treiy new, and, according to German
ideas, most important factor has en-
tered and seriously disturbed the rela.
tive military power OF European ma
tions, This Is the aerial weapon.
Since the days OF Otto Lilienthal
and his glider. 1t has been the policy
OF Germany to keep track Of all inven-
lions likely to be embodied and made
use OF In the war machine. 1t is q far
cry from Iilenthal's glider to the last
word In aerial construction such as
the mysterious Zeppelin Parseval sky
monster that, carrying a complement
OF twenty-five men and twelve tons OF
AXnInCiVna kn
sea, circled over London, and returned
to Germany.
y Ii my purpose here to tell you
how far Germany has advanced and
progressed In this struggle for mas
terry of the sky. ] shall disclose facts
about her system that have never APP
peared In print--that have never been
heard Ia conversation. They are
known only to the general staff at Ber-
lin, not even in the cabinets OF Eu-
rope.
Secret Aerial Strength.
Germany without doubt has the most
up-to-date aerial feet in the world.
The budget OF the reichstag of 1908
1909 allowed and provided for the
building and maintenance OF twelve
dirigibles OF the Zeppelin type So
far as the knowledge of the rest OF
the world Is concerned this Ii all the
sky navy that Germany posse. s. 1t
Is Q fact, though, that she has three
times the number that she officially
acknowledges.
The diribigIe.bailoon centers in Ger
many are i've, and they are situated at
vitality strategic points. There are two
on the French border. one on the Rus
sian border, one on the Atlantic coast,
and central station near Berlin. The
exact places are Strassburg, Frank
fort on the Main, Posen, Wilhelms-
hafen and Berlin. This does not in
cluda the marvellous station at Helgo-
land in the North sea, this being a
strategic point in relation to Great
Britain. Nothing Is known about this
Heigoland station. None but those on
official business are permitted within
a thousand yards of it. | shall tell
things concerning It,
Besides these purely military posts
there are number of commercial sta
tons necessary as depots of the regu-
lar transportation aerial lines that
operate for the convenience of the
public. Like Germany's commercial
steamers. however, they are controlled
and subsidized by the government. At
. few hours notice they can be con-
verted and mad use of for govern.
ment purposes. Taking these trans
portation lines into consideration, it
Is safe to state that by now Germany
could send fifty huge airships to war.
FevolutIonlzins Discoveries.
II may be. puzzle to Americans
why, In the face of disasters and acct.
dents to these zeppelins. Germany is
spending about sa,ooo.O0e ON her aerial
feet. Now we come to q very signifi-
cant point. | know, and certain mem
bers of the German general star know
as well as trusted men In the aerial
corps, that there are two conditions
under which airships are operated in
Germany. One is the ordinary more
or iess well-known system which char
acterizes the operation Of all the pas
senger lines now In service In the en-
pire, II Is the system under which
all the disasters that appear in the
newspapers occur. Airships that are
used In the general army flights and
maneuvers are also run under the
same system as the passenger dirig-
ibles-for reason.
The other system Is an absolute Sc
cret or the German general staff. II
Is not used In the general maneuvers,
only in specific cases. and these al.
ways secretly. IL has been proved to
be effective in eliminating as per cent
! OF the accidents which have character
lied all Of Germany's adventures In
dirigihles and heavier-than-air ma
| chimes. These statistics are known
only among the German general staff
officers.
Critics of the German dirigible who
rate the. French aeroplane superior
point out that the zeppelins have
three serious detects bulk and heayi.
ness or structure. infiammahilsty OF the
lifting powerthe gas that floats them