South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-04-26
ZEPPELIN RAIDS
So FAR TRIALS
ONLY SAYS COUNT
Thirty Great Air Crafts Expect
ed to Make Big Attack Dur
ing Summer Possibly on
England'S Grand Fleet.


BERLIN, April 2s.-CBy mail to
New York)-Count Ferdinand Zeppe-
lin, with Won Hindenburg, the idol Of
the German people. assembled the
commanders Of his giant dirigibles a
few days ago and spoke a few plain
words. The fatherland depended upon
them, ne said. and they must press
their expeditions this summer no mat
ter what wind and weather they en-
cOuntered.
Such lectures of commanders-in-
chief TO their subOrdinates are not in
frequent, as all close students of mil
itary history know. British and
French critics however, hasten to
picture the count as a disappointed
old man, disgruntled over the failure
of mis- plans, and seeking 10 put the
blame on the maladroitness or over
caution Of his air captains
Count Is Confident.
Nothing could be further from the
truth. The count is as confident in
his great idea as ever. The German
people are behind him equally with
the kaiser. Germany now has at
least 30 Zeppelins in commission,
most OF which cast the best air dread
naughts Of even last summer in the
shade.
From these the count expects an
offensive of the most effective sort
it has been argued that the Zeppe-
Inns so far have done nothing of mil
itary value. have only killed civilians
and a few soldiers. This OverlOoks
the destruction of factories where the
French were working night and day
on munitions of war. which took place
on the last Paris raid.
But those close TO the councils Of
the general staff inform me the Yep
pelin activities up to the present are
largely experimental. Soon the dir
igibles will take up their tasks in
earnest. Protected by hOtillas of
swift aeroplanes as the battleships Of
the sea are surrounded always by de-
stroyers and other lesser craft, the
products of the FFiedriChshaven fac
tory will attack Notifications, large
bodies OF troops on the march. supply
depots. railroad points and staff head
quarters; besides cooperating 4 what
Germany longs for most of all, an on
slaught on the British grand fleets
line Of battle.
Trip to Camp.
on a recent trip to FriedriChshaVen
the best known of the Zeppelin fac
tories because so close TO the Swiss
border that the little neutral nation
can watch the birth of the dirigibles,
l found about 1000 wOrkmen engaged
and the force increasing daily.
/ watched a trial trip of the latest
addition to Germany's aerial fleet Al
though not allowed TO inspect opera
tons closely. l learned that this Yep
pelin had been assembled in II days.
From a distance of five miles the giant
beat of it's powerful engines could be
heard. 1t climbed to a great height
and descended quickly. 1t lowered,
under perfect control, over the waters
of beautiful Lake Constance. 1t
steered to perfection, executing So
called figure Fights" and other evO-
lutions.
Its speed was what astonished me
most. / secured no figures concerning
thins, but when the monster, dwarfing
the largest warship, started in a direc-
ton away from me, il disappeared
from view entirely in a few minutes.
Then it reappeared and seemed to
grow like a cyclone, so rapidly did
il approach.
Tt should be mentioned here that
while approaching end-on the new
Zeppelin is nearly invisible. Thi. is
due largely 10 Sn ingenious color ar
rangement. When presenting its side,
however, the Zeppelin makes a good
target for artillery. Here is weak
point in the Zeppelin. With hostile
aerOplanes it does not have to reckon
these will be left to the attendant
monoplanes and biplanes.
Attack Now Difficult
British airmen have attacked the
Friederichshaven works several times.
dropping bombs which did slight
damage. When they come again
they viii find it difficult to assail the
factory. for enormous defensive works
of concrete have been erected.
Count Zeppelin has just written his
"reminiscences which are now ap-
peaTing in the magazine Der Grief
here. He was military attache at
tached to the northern army in the
American civil war and narrates many
amusing and enlightening incidents of
that great struggle.
II is not generally known that Yep
pelin's first balloon ascension took
place in the United States at this
time He conceived the central idea
OF his dirigible in 1868 and has been
working on it 90 years. expanding
almost all his personal fortune of
about three million dollars besides
much money contributed by wealthy
friends.
mere - AUAAilA E4tAlHtlln : account OF
meeting Pres't Lincoln;
Through the good offices of the
Prussian AMBASSADOR was able to
obtain an audience with Pres't Lin
coin. i solemnly donned my frock
coat and high hat. but found no
especial pOmp attaching TO the Cere-
mony.
Describes President.
AT the white house I was taken
into the room where the president
worked From behind the writing Ia
bic a very tall. lean form arose. with
a large head. long unkempt hair and
beard. and strikingly projecting cheek
bones. but shrewd kindly eyes Dur
ing my short talk with the president
his private secretary. Reed, sat on the
writing table, swinging his feet
Thythmically 10 and fro-they stuck
far out of his trouser legs and were
incaSed in a pair of shoes resem bling
mOcCasins.
4 ii ~