Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1915-05-21
Bv STEVEN BURNETT.

Berlin.-Count Ferdinand Zeppelin,
with Won Hindenburg, the idol Of the
German people, assembled the COM
manders of his giant dirigibles a few
DAYS ago and spoke a few plain words.
The Fatherland depended upon them,
he said, and they must press their ex-
petitions this summer no matter what
wind and weather they encountered.
Such lectures of commanders IN
chief to their subordinates are not in
frequent, as all close students OF mill
tary history know. British and French
critics, however, hasten to picture the
count as a disappointed old man, dis
gruntled over the failure Of his plans,
and seeking to put the blame on the
| indebtedness or oVercaution Of his
air captains.
Nothing could be farther 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
thirty 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 Of
fensive of the most effective sort. 1t
has been argued that the Zeppelins
so far have done nothing of military
value, have only killed civilians and
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 dirigi-
bles will take up their task in earnest.
Protected by flotillas of swift aero
planes as the battleships Of the sea
are surrounded always by destroyers
and other lesser craft. the products
of the Friedrichshaven factory Will
attack Notifications, large bodies OF
troops on the march, supply depots,
railroad points and staff headquar-
tiers; besides cooperating in what
Germany longs for most of all, an on
| slaught on the British grand fleets
line of battle.
Bigger Than a Battleship.
On a recent trip to Friedrichshaven,
the best known of the Zeppelin factor
les because so close to the Swiss
border that the little neutral nation
can watch the birth of the dirigibles,
I found about two thousand workmen
engaged, and the force increasing
daily.
I watched a trial trip of the latest
addition to Germany's aerial fleet. Al
though not allowed to inspect opera
lions closely, learned that this Yep
pelin had been assembled in IL days.
From distance of five miles the giant
peat of its powerful engines could be
heard It climbed to a great height
and descended quickly. 1t lowered,
under perfect control, over the wa
tiers of beautiful Lake Constance. 1t
| steered to perfection, executing So
called figure Fights" and other evo-
lutions.
Its speed was what astonished me
most. I secured no figures concern
ing this, but when the monster, dwarf
ing the largest wacship, started in a
direction away from me, it disap-
peared from view entirely in a few
minutes Then it reappeared and
seemed to grow like cyclone, so rap
idly did it approach.
It should be mentioned here that
while approaching end-on the new
Zeppelin is nearly invisible. This is
due largely to an ingenious color ar
rangement. When presenting its side,
however, the Zeppelin makes good
target for artillery. Here rs weak
point in the Zeppelin. With hostile
aeroplanes it does not have to reckon
these will be left to the attendant
monoplanes or biplanes.
Friedrichshaven works several times,
| dropping bombs which did slight dam
| age. When they come again they will
find it difficult to assail the factory,
for enormous defensive works of con-
| crete have been erected.
Count Zeppelin has just written his
"reminiscences, which are now appear
ing in the magazine Der Greif here.
| He was a military attache attached
to the northern army in the American
Civil war, and narrates many amusing
and enlightening incidents OF that
great struggle.
First Ascension in America.
It is not generally known that zep'
pelin's first balloon ascension TOOK
place in the United States at this
time. He conceived the central idea
of his dirigible in 1853 and has been
working on it So years, expending al
most ali his personal fortune of about
three million dollars, besides much
money contributed by wealthy friends.
Here is Count Zeppelin's account OF
meeting President Lincoln:
Through the good offices OF the
Prussian ambassador i was able to
obtain an audience with President
Lincoln. I solemnly donned my frock
coat and high hat, but found no spe'
c,al pomp attaching to the ceremony
"At the White House was taken