Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-04-29
By STEVEN BURNETT.

international News Service Correspondent.
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
maladroitness 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
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 dirigf
bles will take up their task in earnest.
Protected by hotillas of swift aero
planes as the battleships of the sea
are surrounded always by destrOyers
and other lesser craft. the products
of the Friedrichshayen 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 d BattIeship.
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
fnh he ri Of hn HiriCi hi q
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
tions closely, learned that this Yep
pelin had been assembled in u days
From distance of five miles the giant
beat of its powerful engines could be
heard. 1t climbed to a great height
and descended quickly 1t lowered
under perfect control, over the wa
tiers of beautiful Lake Constance Il
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 Warship, started in 6
direction away from me, it disap
peared from view entirely in a few
minutes. Then it reappeared and
seemed to grow like a cyclone. so rap
idly did it approach.
1t should be mentioned here thai
while approaching end-on the new
Zeppelin is nearly invisible. This i:
due largely to an ingenious color ar
rangement. When presenting its side
however, the Zeppelin makes a gooc
target for artillery. Here is a veal
point in the Zeppelin. With hostile