The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-02-04
AERIAL AsEssA;ss,islNs.

When an Impartial, capable hlsto.
rian, d generation hence. perhaps,
comes TO record the story of the pres
emit European conflict, 1t will be
strange indeed Il he does not devote
at least chapter to the first extern
siye employment In war Of airships
and their utility In accomplishing
anything Of practical military value,
while at the same time serving as
agents OF death and injury to helpless
non.combatants. One could almost
Wish that airship bombs might cause
the destruction OF some great fortress
or reduce other militarysworks to sub.
lection SO that in the eyes OF posterity
the use by twenti eth century belliger.
ents o these vicious vehicles might
be at least partially justified. tits TO
be feared that the verdict which sue.
ceedtng generati tons will pass upon our
standard OF civilization will be far
from fiattering. s.
Guerilla. methods of fighting have
always come und mankind's severe
condemnation. Early settlers on our
western plains were the frequent vic.
Tins OF the redskins treachery and
contempt le cruelty. The Indians, on
the testimony Of those who were
brought In contact with them, simply
had no conception of fighting fairly
and their ignorance and disregard of
the ethics OF warfare were character
istic merely of sayagery the world
over. For them; as for the Zulus or
the bushmens OF Australia, or the can.
nibalistic creatures OF certain isles in
the Pacific, there were no rules Of the
game. Tofpounce upon sleeping white
men and chop their heads of, to sub.
ject women and children to torture,
these were the practices to b. expect.
ed from these degarded spcc Gus OF
humankind, brothers to the Drute. But
civilized man prided himself on con,
Quoting his warfare with the sem.
blance. at least of humanity. Through
long ages Of conflict regulations and
customs were formed, the violation of
which stamped the perpetrators with
the stigma OF barbarism. Until the
present war these rules were quite
genrally observed. For Nuisance,
cities and towns were given notice
and opportunity to surrnlt before
bombardment, In iaccorda. . with an
cient usage. Now, With & any au-
thorized alteration in the Iles Of In.
ternational warfare, the airship has
changed all that Il is considered the
height Of military cunning to sail over
undefended villages, by day or night,
and drop deadly bombs with indiscrlia.
mate deyiltry. Every great was lla5
had It's roll Of innocent victims, na..
<or,bnfants caupft thetween the Ifnt.,
or accidentally slaini n their homes.
Such slaughter was not deliberately
planned. II was part Of the fortunes
Of war. But the modern .sky raid is
for killing and not scouting purposes.
Its object Is TO terrifys the populace
OF hostile territory by spreading
death and destruction among the stay.
nt.homes. the non-combatants, old
men. women and children. Here
little boy Is "trightfully MANNED when
an explosive missile drops into the
yard o. his school. There the inmates
OF 49, nifty hospital are stricken
with PANE Us bombs fall on the roof.
In the suburbs Of q town; a peasant,
aged sc years. Is torn TO pieces.
II is conceivable that q fleet OF air
ships poised nnenacingly above q city
or town could exact an enormous trib.,
ute under threat Of bombai Inent or
could take the course ofIe ing its
surrender. Either procedv y both
would be In accordance with Ne rules
Of war. but these airship nturderers
do not afford their victims the oppof.
funity Of submission. Even the hold.