The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-07


has IL been said. The Zeppelius have
not made good" There is one man,
/ whose experience and studies amply
cntitle him To a hearing, who declares
that the answer 30 the question is
still 10 come--and he beiiyes II Will
come soon. Not onlysthat, but he be-
heves the Zeppelin will vindicate it.
self IN a raid ON England.
The man who advances these views
IS Thomas K. MacMechen. aeronautI-
! cal engineer and president of the
AeTonautical Society of America. His
British company Is now building for
England five dirigihles of new type
Zeppelin destroyers.' as it were,
for defense against the larger craft.
1, The night and weight carrying
possibilities OF the Zeppeiins under
al but abnormal weather conditions
are proved. and as certain and de-
pendable as the navigation OF steam
ship. A hurricane viii wreck the lat
ter as quickly as the former.
.. The wrecks of Zeppelins are
printed and known. There are less
than a dozen all told, The actual
flights under all sorts Of conditions
run into thousands, These are not
heard Of
:. The attacking Zeppelins will do
their destroying with armor piercing
guns rather than with bombs.
4. The raid will be not by three or
four. but by great number, not less
than fifty, possibly by a hundred, ac-
con panied by aeroplanes.
g The high angle gun has been
proved. even when used under day
light conditions, 10 be useless as de-
Tense. Aeroplane defense is useless
by night. which is the Zeppeiins best
time for operation.
s (tprrpar4v. thug IA ba Il a
only accommodating trips. She will
make her real raid only when strong
ly ready, and that time is not far
away.
/ Mr.. MacMechen said today with
earnest and apparent conviction;
"A great cloud OF death is gather
! Ing on the German coast Week by
week it's potential power is increasing,
( yet tn" time to strike has not come.
a white haired, hale old mamie Is
/ ISIS working quietly and waiting
until the war office shall say: Are
you ready, Count Zeppelin
For answer. that night, the mon
ster air feet will rise high above
/ the German coast and float out in the
/ darkness over the sea. Germany vii
wait and pray. IL is her trump card
! II IL faiis--but Ferdinau Won Zeppe-
lin is not handling failures these days.
! Half hundred new superdread-
/ naughts Of the air, built since the war
4 began, fianked by myriads of buzzing
/ sWooplhg, Circifng aearoplanes, would
strike England TO the very heart.
Then with Germany master OF the
air, and with Germany master under
/ the sea, how long will England main
/ tain her supremacy atop the sea? The
/ admiralty Will not admit that this
means the passing OF the dreadnaugh.,
/ hut they are beginning to fear Just
! that"
These Ideas Mr.. MacMechen gath.
cred during his stay In England
/ where he came IN almost daily con-
tact with high government officials
ana experts In warfare of the water
and the air He is to return there
soon. For ten years he has beer
q leading aeronautical authority ir
this country, and Is now BUILDING
near London five Zeppelin destroy.
ers, something entirely new In the
conquest OF the air The first ma
lchine which is really a Zeppelin in
miniature, is nearly ready for it's Of
fetal tests.
To-day at the Aeronautlcal Society's
rooms, West 18th Street, Mr.. Mac
/ Methen spoke Of the certainty of a
zeppelin raid on London and of Eng
lands almost utter helpieasness The
/ Zeppelin raid on London is coming
Mr.. MacMpchen belives, and it viii
be spectacular blow that will para
I'VE England and stagger the world
These new Zeppelins will not droJ
bombs. they will fight with guns AR
ing steel capped projectiles They will
not come in pairs. but they will come
ny the score. or by the two score. and
hundreds Of aeroplanes will come with
them
MIR MacMechen classes the Var,
mouth raid as mere reeonnoiterine
party, and he believes it's purpose wa,
accomplished. lie said
The intelligence department o1
Great Britain knows the preparation:
that Germany is making. Further
confirming details are coming in near.
" every day. One report from Lake
Constance, where the observer re.
manned nineteen weeks told or {
complete Zeppelin being turned out
from the factory every two week.
while he WAS there
Perhaps Germany IS ready tc
strike now. vet | should he surprised
II she made the first raid this month
March is not the most favora BILE time
on account Of the winds. - do no,
look for the big air invasion until
after the middle of April, bat 7 be.
lieYe il Will come soon after that"