The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-11-04
az HERBERT COREY

tCeDyrisAt. lsIA ~ Herbert CsreyJ
PARIS. Nov. 4.-Twp important
conclusions have been reached by
aviation experts In comparing the
practical immunity OF Paris from
aerial attack with the fact that
London seems to be AS open as a
barn door to its winged assailants.
The first is that the Zeppelin Is
q military success instead Of being
the failure ii has been proclaimed.
The second Is that aircraft can
only be successfully attacked from
the air. In their present stage Of
development anti-aircraft guns are
as useless as popguns against Yep
pelins.
In spite OF the fact that thousands
Of people are reported to have left
London. following the attacks by
Zeppelins upon three successive
nights, from each Of which the as
sailants escAped unscathed. it win
be conceded by those who know
anything Of England that the NOR
ale OF the inhabitants has not been
injured. In that respect the Yep
pelin attack may be said to have
failed. Against this may be set the
undoubted fact tina; the Zeppelins
have done precisely what the Ger
mans planned they should do.
They have flown straight to the
mark from their home port in Bel
gium. AS II to Show that the first
visit was mot an accident the visit
was repeated. The explosives
dropped by them did great material
damage. Tho objection that they
failed to lift . bank or . dock or q
warehouse Ii beside the mark. Those
who have seen the traces of their
visit say that their great bombs
produced tho effect OF one Of the
high explosive shells the Germans
occasionally IRE into Drlnkirk or
Ypres. Not ons shell In a dozen
fred from a gun reaches a really
important target.
Two British experts have made
haste to concede the effectiveness
Of the Zeppelin. H. Massac Duist,
writing In the Morning Post upon
the appointment OF Admiral Sir
Percy Scott to control the anti-air-
craft defenses of London, says that
'the necessity for such measure is
quite obvious, despite the fact that
large section of the students Of
aeronautics have not got beyond the
stage Of sneering at what they are
pleased 20 style the Zeppelin fiasco."
Continuing, he writes that "the
work Of defending any large city
must be entrusted either TO anti.
aircraft guns or to airships as large
a. the Zeppelins II has taken Ger
many nearly half a generation to
evolve. The latter plan is imprac-
ticable at present"
Mr.. BUST states that Zeppelin
airships have been developed pro-
portionately to a greater extent
than antiaircraft gunnery. AS we
have been employing 1t in these is:
Nnds." He takes hope, however
from the fact that the latest Ger
man anti-aircraft gun Is reported Ia
have range Of 10000 feet. "or hall
as high again as the maximum ele
walton ut which II Is at present
found practicable to navigate Yep
pelins sent out over long distances
to conduct offensive operations.
The Zeppclins which assailed Lon
don are believed to have flown be
tween 10000 and 10000 feet high.
A super-Zeppclin will be required
for defense. ia the equally franz
admission OF c. q. Grey, editor Of
the Acroplane, although he says thai
"Riven sufiiciency OF anti-aircraf
guns and searchlights In n particu
Inr place on the ground II can BE-
made impregnable TO aircraft at
tack" Under certain conditions
however, the defense must be from
the air. AN alrship can ny and