Perth Amboy evening news., 1915-02-17
ALLIED TROOPS
GET READY FOR
GERMAN DRIVE
Berlin Gives Details of Victory
Over Russians, Claiming
That the Germans Captured
Over $4,000 Prisoners.
BY VIM. p. SIMMS,
Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
Copyrighted 1915 by the United


Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
Copyrighted 1915 by the United
Press.
Paris, Feb. 1877 - THE much
vaunted zeppelins are utterly worth
less for purposes Of war. They are
certain soon to disappear entirely as
factor in aerial navigation of any
sort"
1t was Louis Bleriot, inventor of
the monoplane, who was talking as
he had been carefully reading the
United Press interview with Count
Won Zeppelin, in which the German
inventor declared his dirigibles would
be material factors In ending the
war Bleriot, the first man to fly the
English channel in a machine, is
Frances chief. consulting expert In
matters aerial. His big shop Just
outside of Paris is working night
and day turning out machines for the
French army. And in them he is in
cooperating many things which, af
ter the war, will assure the future as
commercial vehicle of the aero
plane.
This war has killed the Zeppe-
lin," he continued. "They are bound
to disappear entirely because they
are impracticable. They are too
bulky, too light, too frail for severe
work and are entirely at the mercy
OF the elements. The very fact that
- require small army of
|Etndants and the inability to provide
necessary bases for them near the
front with monster sheds which are
imperative to protect them against
the weather, is handicap that can
not be overcome.
Zeppelins are Inactive.
"As a matter of fact the Zeppellns
have been entirely inactive during
the present war. The small raid on
the British seacoast lines does not
count, tnasmuch as they failed to ac-
complish a single thing of military
value"
Then you consider Paris and
London perfectly safe from Zeppelin
raids?" l asked.
'Of course. Granted ideal wealth
er conditions 1t will not be impossi-
BILE for the zeppelins to raid these
and other cities. But l do not be-
lieve that single Zeppelin that will
participate in such raid will ever es-
cape to German territory again. They
offer a monster target when they fly
low. A raid of the sort contem-
plated would have to be made at
night and the dirigibles would have
to fly at a great height. The only
thing they could accomplish would
be the destruction of few houses
and possibly the killing of few nom
combatants.
80 far as military results are con-
cerned submarines are far more
dangerous than Zeppelins ever could
be. We must watch under the sea
far more carefully than we must the
air"
Then you consider the aeroplane
a far more potent weapon of warfare
than the Zeppelins?" / asked.
VERY much so. Experience has
shown that aeroplanes flying swiftly
and very high are almost impossible
to bring down, whereas Zeppelins
flying slow and low offer maximum
target. / am sure that II Zeppelins
ever venture as real warfare the
count will see his elusion vanish and
fade into thin air. And | think as
constructor when. as | say, that the
only question settled by the war Ia
that the aeroplane is useful and the
dirigible is a handicap. The aero
planes have completely changed the
tactics of warfare. 1t is now impos-
sible to carry through a surprise
of troops as the aerial eye
of the army spy is out the moment
it is attempted and the general COM
Is able to checkmate it,
What effect has the war had on
the construction and equipment of
aeroplanes?"
Actual practice has led to many
changes, Just as Pegoud's upside
down fight has, but the changes that
have been made must, of course, re-
main secret until after the war is |
over. There is no doubt, however. |
that the aeroplane is a distinct ac-
luisition, whereas the dirigible must !
fy by night and drop bombs, blindly |
Hrecking buildings indlscriminately |
md killing women and children"
How about the claims that Count |
Zeppelin In one OF his aircraft, will |
,e the first to cross the Atlantic?"
utterly absurd. An aeroplane
will be the first to cross, although
will not obtain my ambition to be
he man to pilot one. You know one
Don loses the knack of flying and for
myself | only take to the air now to
aef ot,t ro.y NAM fnnantfAno