Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-04-04
ZEPPELIN'S CHIEF
TALKS OF HIS TRIP
Brcithaupt Says German Raiders
Are Merely Fighting Enemies
Of Their Country.
AIM AT ENEMY ARMED WORKS

LONDON, April al do not
iblnk YOU would find an officer Of
the German navy or army who would
willingly participate In the killing
Of women and children"
Lieutenant Commander Breithaupt,
commander Of the Zeppelin Lib,
which was hit by shell fire in the
raid Friday night on English towns
and later sank IN the Thames eatu-
airy, replied thus TO the Associated
Press correspondent when requested
TO explain the psychology Of German
air raids on defenseless cities and
The killing Of harmless civilians
~ am very well satisfied with
tine treatment here no said. but
naturally feel the loss OF my free
dom. Az 10 air raids, We have u
much more important object In View
than the killing Of women and chill.
dren, namely, the destroying OF the
enemy's armed positions, warehips
and factories. Women and children
become the victims u our opera
tons, but not because We kill them
Intentionally. II II war"
Wore Iron Gross.
b The commander declined 70 express
hjrnself as 70 whence the sirship caIns.
nor would he reply 10 questions regard
ing the length and duration Of the raid.
Or whether he had participated IN pre-
yiops raids. But the iron cross with
which he was decorated bore the date
Of tho air raid Of October, 1919, and he
informed the interviewer that he hsd
bosn in the Zeppelin service since The
outbreak OF hostilitiea,
Asked whether he knew the location
~ the airship during the ralds IN the
darkness and whether he could distin.
gulsh holdings and other objects ~
night, he asserted that he could tell o.
most exactly but could not ray whether
the bombs fell where they we're In
tended 10 fall except in some Instances
{ Fighting 0ermaBY'a Enemies.
Commander Breithaupt. VINO WIS n
regular naval officer before tho war,
served in Austraiasian wars md also in
South America. lie said he was nc
qusinted with numbers Of British naval
men and dld not feel any hatred for
them, hut was doing bis duty w fight
ing the enemies Of Germany
Asked whether he participated gladly
In air raids, he replied
Yes. DO my duty ~ nm officer
giadly. A. to the risk IN air fighting,
wo know the chances wo run ana hf0
prepared 10 take them. Our aircraft was
bit three times by shfapbe and We came
down very rapidly into Tho water'
WIth respect 10 the altitude o. which
Tho raidlng Zeppelns flew, he admitted
that the height waA very great but
oyaded more definite particulars, merely
smiling when 500 feet was mentioned,
and saving;
we should not reaoh England II W.
flew only A. that height
Lieutcnnncs FIRST Raid.
Lieutenant Kuonne, second IN com.
inand, vas more rotieent. but sald that It
was his first raid on England u han
hoped 10 come again" he added
Lieutenant Kuehne declared that he
knew absolhlely where the alfshlp WIS
when cruising and that the Germans we're
certain they had achieved considerable
SUCCESS IN the raid, Both scanned con.
WINGED that their aircraft had done dam
age 70 The British fleet and military
works.
All the members Of the airship crew,
when Intercepted. expressed aatisfne-
tion AZ the treatment they had received
Their daily ratIons consist Of half