The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-07-09
GERMAN RAIDS
 HAVE DISCARDED
 BRITISH NATION
Attitude Taken By Press Which Urges Raids In
 Reprisal

London, July 9-In the House of Commons today Andrew Bonar Law, chancellor of the .exchequer, announced that a secret session of the house will be held this evening to discuss the air defenses of the country.
 London, July 9.-The morning newspapers subordinate everything to Saturdays air raid, comment upon which reflects the popular indignation and in cases spirited condemnatio tion of the government.
 The country, 1t is declared, has been humiliated and disgraced in a. manner never experienced since the Dutch fleet burned Chatham more than 250 years ago. The incident is described by the most angry commentators as disgraceful alike to the war office. and the admiralty air service and the removal of those responsible. for the miserable display of incompetence is demanded.
 Even those comments which are IllO1t ISSlIdlIlco SOAIpid1I Ci4clI VI Sdt Britain is failing behind in aircraft consumption and say it needs speed ing up. General Haig's reference to increasedI German air activity is re- garded as highly significant. In all the comments there is the same note of outraged national pride and dis gust at the impunity with which the enemy came, rail1ed and departed. Fl
 It is remarked also that the aerIal attack raises to a practical level the question of a possible absolute devts- tation of London by air craft and the Iinfiiction of such losses as would amount to serious military defeat If score of enemy machines are able to operate with calm inapunity. it is asked what will happen if 200 come or, as the Koelnische Zeitung recently urge6 a thousand.
 Those favoring reprisals naturally emphasize their demand while those opposed contend reprisalssnot only are useless but would lead to a competi- ton in brutality wherein the expert will beat the amateur Some edito. ials refer to the hope with which the advent of the American air forces is awaited, anticipating important re. suits therefrom.
 Ir political circles there was a good deal of criticism of the failure on the part of the British air defenses te ward off the German raiders. Free | lances in the house of commons are planning to boIIfbard the government with demands for an overhauling O.
 the whole system. Those who flavor
 raids in reprisa1 also are active anG the ministers will be asked to state specifically the reasons who no reply is made in kind to the German raid. on England. In this the advocates O. reprdsals are being backed by masses of the people in the quarters affected by recent raids.
 Although son1e of those injured o1 Saturday are in a serious condition, il 1 most cases they are progressing favor ably and no further deaths have beel | reported. Some of the streets il
 which bombs were dropped were stil closed to traffic this morning. l The police were still searching thi l morning among the ruins of east an, tenements for persons missing. Il several instances nothing remains o | dwellings except ssnn4ouldering ruins which women and children search fo some momento of their homes. Tn worst sufferers appeared to be wive and failies of men at the front, wh
 have no means of re-establishini I themselves. They are being cared fo l by charitable institutions.
 | A close inspection of the damage, | buildings showed that the zone af
 fected by each bomb was marvelous1 circumscribed in nearly every case
 The damage consisted mainly o
 broken glass and window framing
 The actual material damage was com
 paratively insignificant and tends t
 prove that the bombs carried by tn
 airplanes were far less destructiv
 than those dropped previously in tn Zeppelin raids.
 l Saturdays aerial attack more tha,
 ever proved the wisdom of seekin
 shelter. The fleet of raiders wa plainly seen by the general public be fore the bombardment commenced an 1 nearly every one took measures o
 self protection.
 The feeling in parliamentary circle is rapidly growing in favor of vigor
 ous reprisals. The ministers will b
 pressed in the house of commons to day for a definite statement of policy