El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-06-13

TASHINGTON, D. C., June 1s.-
w The signal corps Of the army
is at present negotiating for
the purchase, in France, Of three or
more great balloons of the cigar
shaped dirigible type.
While very large, and OF the most
improved pattern they viii not be
nearly OF such dimensions as the
aerial batueships called 'Zeplenins, +"
on which the German government has
recently spent such a vast deal Of
money. Those huge affairs are deemed
by our own experts too unwieldly for
she balloon being extended upon rigid
the balloon being extended upon a rigid
framework, and the airship carrying q
crew Of 80 or 40 men, with half
dozen quick fire guns
The balloons we are buying, Of me-
dunn size, have no rigid framework,
and can therefore be collapsed and
transported with ease over long dis
Iances IN wagons. together with their
equipments. A ZEPPELIN" on the other
hand, cannot safely land anywhere
except at its own hangar
If we should have war with Mex
leo, il would probably degenerate
after the first few battles, into
long-drawn out effort to exterminate
scattered and predatory bands OF
''Euerilleros" The war department
admits that at least 500, 900 men will
be required to pacify the country, but
twice that number may be needed, al
lowing for the garTisoning OF hun
dreds OF towns scattered over an i'm
mense area It should be remembered
that the population Of Mexico is
greater than that Of all the southern
states at the ope~ ing Of the civil war.
L. S. Has - Afrships.
Under such conditions aerial recon
noissance work. especially for the pur-
pose Of locating guerilla bands, viii
have to be conducted on an extensive
scale. It is lucky that we are fairly
well prepared a statement recently
lean government possesses a greater
number of flying machines than We
have. is absolutely incorrect HuerJa
has at his disposal not more tnan IT,
and probably fewer (three having
been burned in a hangar fire at Mex
leo City only a few weeks aEo(, where
as the L. S. war department mas . IN
commission, adapted for use on lana
and the navy department owns quite
q number, the total lncluolng ny
dropIanes' and flying boats, running
up nearly to so.
Three More Being Built.
In addition, the war department Is
rushing to completion three large
high speed aerOplanes Of an essen
TALLY fighting type, protected Dy hgnI
armOr and carrying, each OF them. a
formidable machine gun Ihey VIII
carry two men las is usual with mill
sketches and fire the gun when there
is occasion, and the other to steer.
One hears a good deal said about
BON throwing from aeroplanes, ana
the possibilities Of craftsmanship from
aloft, as directed against troops below
but a moments reflection viii show
that such matters are Of small relative
importance To pick off a man o. two
vvita 9 rifle or even TO XIII half
dozen men with a sbillfully delivered
bomb, might crafty the sporting i'm
pulse OF the aviator, but II would be CT
little practical usefulness The proper
business Of the military flyer is alto
gether different, and Of a thOusandfold
more consequence
Why. then. the machine Eun2 The {
answer is. for use in attacking the enc
my's aerOplaues- To disable a hostile z
zeroplane is simply matter Of shoot I
Ing the aviator. one well aimed bull {
LeI, and the huge mechanical bird |
-Omes tumbling to the ground 1t is /
necessary, then. that the properly !
equipped war flyer shall be power (
fully engined. in order TO have the I
speed requisite for overtaking the fly {
ing enemy. Given this condition, the /
after cannot possibly get away; 1t /
0nly remains to pot him at leisure.
Air Shooting Difficult.
It is a special and rather difficult