Evening star., 1916-05-10

with which to purchase hydroplane and
necessary equipment, which should be at
tached to the Naval Battalion of the Dis
trict National Guard. Rear Admiral
Peary said every city near the coast
should have aircraft and anti-craft
guns in readiness to defend it.
He called attention to the inability
Of Washington to defend itself in event
of an air attack.
ANY one of several European coun-
tries, by issuing an order today" he
said, could two weeks from today in
f1ict damage upon this city greater
service for this country, and could re-
peat here the scenes of horror de-
struction and loss of life that have al
ready been enacted in the cities of the
east coast of England.
Describes Possible Raid.
"A small, innocent-looking tramp
steamer like the Appam, with a squad
ron of modern aeroplanes upon her
decks. could. under cover of night, slip
in near the coast abreast of Washing
ton, launch the machines into the air.
each carrying 900 to 500 pounds of
high explosives, and by the first rays
of morning light, the squadron of aero
planes. forming in line just east of
Washington with spaces of about one
city block betW cen each two machines.
could sweep across the city over a
zone twelve blocks wide, each machine.
as it proceeded. dropping twelve to
twenty ty-five-pound bombs of
high explosives $500 to 5000 pounds
in the course of q few minutes.
The machines then wheeling could
regain their ship in few hours. leav-
ing behind them results which perhaps
you can imagine. And there is at this
time absolutely no means at hand of
preventing or resisting such a raid.
There is not an airship in or near
Washington. There is not anti
Suggests Purchase of Aero.
Mr. Ingraham told of a movement
started in Portland, Nc. where he
served as mayor prior to his recent ap-
pointment as assistant secretary of war.
which has resulted in the raising of
a fund of $4,000 for the purchase of
a hydroplane and the maintenance of
an aviator as defense measure. Rear
Admiral Peary was the father of the
movement, he said and he expressed a
hope that business men of Washington
would get together similar fund and
purchase a machine for the local National
Guard. The establishment of an aerial
defense unit here. he said would serve
as an example for cities throughout the
entire United States.
Remember that once before Wash
ington heard the tread of foreign
foe. said Mr.. lngraham, and if it ever
hears ii again it ought to be pre-
pared. In providing yourselves with
hydro-aeroplane, as unit in the aerial
defense of our coasts, you will be do
ing something nationally as well as To-
cally. That is the way we looked at it
in Portland. Me. where. although
little city of $1,000. we raised the full
amount. nearly $4,000. in very short
while. In fact the actual collecting of
subscriptions was done by team work.
led by the Portland Chamber of Com
merce. in three days
Representative Meeker said that what
Washington needs now more than any
thing else Is system of government
whereby the city will face as unit
the problems that confront it, that
there should be worked out some plan
of self-government that would include
a preferential vote for naming the city
heads.
Representation Needed.