The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-12-24
Searle Hendee, in the January Number OF
Popular Mechanics Magazine.

Searle Hendee, in the January Number of
Popular Mechanics Magazine.
wv HEN darkness and fog settle over
AX/ London the city is gripped by
w fear and foreboding until the
coming of dawn. Ears are strained to
catch the first muffled sounds of ap-
preaching air craft. For many, the night
is one of dread.
Paris slumbers peacefully, although but
an hours fight from the western battle
front. A sense of security pervades the
city Aerial attacks are not feared and
Zeppelns are thought of with mingled in
difference and contempt.
While London is vulnerable from the
sky, Paris is practically immune to dam
ger In the year and a half of aerial war
fare the French have developed defenses
faster than their enemy has improved its
agencies of assault. For year the capt.
tai has been comparatively free from
anxiety 1t has had but one Zeppelin
visit a so-called attack which was only
an incident and netted the enemy nothing.
The British metropolis, on the other
hand, is protected little more effectively
than at the time of the first assault upon
it. Its streets are darkened, 1t has an
abundant supply of searchlights and aerial
guns, and it maintains an aeroplane corps
to resist invasion. Zeppelins, however,
continue to cross the channel and bonn
bard it while hidden in an impenetrable
veil of fog
This shows briefly the contrasting con-
ditions in London and Paris at the present
time. The inability of the one to ward
off assaults and the others apparent free
dom from trouble present graphically the
difference between inadequate and scien-
| tifc preparedness. The French have
found means of successfully combating
Germanys air navy, while the English
are only commencing to develop a COM
prehensive defense. British military au-
thorities, according to recent advices
have of late made careful study of the
French system of aerial defense in the
hope of finding in it a suggestion for the
better protection of London. At the same
time several prominent American inven-
tors are supposedly engaged in the prob
lem.
Complete details of the Paris system OF
fertilization are not known publicly in
America. Most information of this char
acter has naturally been withheld by the
censors The. general idea of the plan
however, is partially understood, as are
some of the ingenious instruments used
for detecting the approach of hostile air
ships and ascertaining their ranges
Prior to the opening of hostilities abroad
aerial defense was la nonentity. Almost
all progress in this direction has been re-
cent, and it therefore constitutes not only
an important but a very new phase OF
this latest method of warfare.
Organization forms the basis of the de.
| Tense system at Paris. observatory and
artillery>posts are arranged in long chains
which extend throughout the city and ra-
date from it in all directions toward every
part of the distant firing line. Each point
Lis in telephone communication with a
central bureau situated in the city. The
instant an enemy flying machine is sighted
y by any one of the numerous lookouts, il
is known at headquarters. Immediately