Evening star., 1917-10-22
britain TO HIT HARD
At GERMANY IN AIR
Attacks on Nom -Combatants to
Prove Boomerang to Kaiser's
Government.
SENTIMENT NOW CHANGED
BY EDWARD PRICE BELL.
Cnblegram to The Evening Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1917.

BY EDWARD PRICE BELL.
Cnblegram to The Evening Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright, 1917.
LONDON. October 22-In a recent
speech in London Gen. J. c. SHUTS OF
South Africa expressed the opinion that
Germany's aerial war against British
not only would fall but
would prove a terrible boomerang to
the enemy. Investigation in compe-
tent quarters shows that If the Ger
mans regard Gen. SHUTS statement as
bluff they are moving toward rude
lisillusionment. At one time before
the Germans began to strike night after
light at British civilians public opin-
ION here might not have sanctioned re-
taliation. Certainly the feeling among
British airmen was strongly against
attacking non-combatants.
But the Germans have changeu all
this. The feeling now is so hot against
he Teutons that the British would like
to see not one stone standing upon an
,ther in many German cities. More
bver. they feel that they are able to
)rng about this condition and declare
that in due time. if permitted. they Will
FOR what happens the Germans vii
have themselves alone to thank. The
idea that the Britons cannot hit as hard
at the German cities as the Germans
can at the British Is without founda- :
ion. They can reach Berlin. as munich
,lready has been reached by British air
aen. Cologne, Frankfort and other Rhine
owns could be knocked in pieces to-
borrow by giving the German army
a holiday from British air attacks.
hat the Britons can do and VIII 90
,gainst German Industrial centers the
;ermans will learn by experience: Capro-
81 machines have bombed Poia with great
egularity and system. 1t is true that the
Italian aerial front is short and this Ienos
moreover, the distance from the base to
he enemy towns is short. The British
erial front is long and the distance to
he enemy towns comparatively great
Nevertheless the problem is not regarded
IS being in the least beyond British re-
sources.
Rise of Royal Flying Corps.
Somewhat more than a year ago gave
rather complete narrative of the rise OF
he Royal Flying Corps, following the be,
,nning of the war. II that story read
happened since reads like a super-ro.
nance. The Royal Flying Corps started
n a few rooms and with few officers
and machines. To be exact. its office
quarters We're half dozen rooms at the
war Office and its total strength in the
lr consisted of six squadrons OF active
airplanes-eighty in number-manned by
80 officers and 1000 men. Today Its
office rooms run high into the hun
dredS and its machines and personnel INTO
the thousands.
Three years ago ! 900, 600 pounds ster-
ling (s5,oo0.000) looked like gigantic
amount for flying purposes. Today 100.-
600 900 pounds sterling (S500, 600 ,000) looks
modest as measured against the require
ments OF this colossal fighting force.
The aerial attacks on London have given
such an impetus to recruitment ior the
Royal Flying Corps that numerous cadet
training camps have had to be estab-
lished A short time ago there was one
such camp. Now there are cadet bri-
sades where young men by the tens OF
thousands are given military and techni-
cal training. Then they go to schools of
military aeronauties and then to training
aerodromes.
The work of the airman has grown
immeasurably in interest through the
development of the airplane and its ac-
cessories and of fighting in the air. It
is highly technical and varies with the
nature of the work. This is what at
tracts the keen youth in such large
numbers. Schools and training centers
have been established where special
lists teach the individual branches of
the work. The airman today goes out
equipped in theory and
practice. His machine carries appli-
ances that but a. short time ago sci
heated clothing and oxygen for respira-
tion have come to the rescue Of men
flying some four miles up.
Germans Fear British Fire.
Twenty thousand feet in altitude is
not at all uncommon for aeroplanes in
these days. But even this height, or
greater one, does not lift the machine
above the range of the artillery bar
rage. Gen. Smuts declares that it was
his belief that the Germans deliberately
avoided military objectives because of
the massed defensive fire encountered
there. Offcers in the Royal Flying
Corps who have fought Gothas hold
the same belief. They assert that the
German airmen want to fight safe"
and that frequently they make off after
weak attempts and drop their bombs
have observed German raiders avoid
ing concentrations of British shrapnel
where they might expect to find mill
tary objectives. Seeking thin sections
of the barrage. some have tried to get
through. but the majority. when tho
defensive fire began to rattle like a
drum. turned away and dropped their
bombs wherever they CHANGED to be.
But at home" said an officer to me.
they tell tall yarns of what they did
to England"
The expansion of the British air
service is story of sustained effort,
which cannot be told in detail now, but
some idea Of 1t can be had when it ts
considered that stations of the type
of which there were only one or two
in August, 1914. are now numbered by
the hundreds. Each station, with its
buildings, tools. machines and general
equipment, represents value of be-
tween sl.000.000 and s2.000.0O0 The
effort involved in building and equip
ping these stations and in supplying
them with personnel and machines NAV
be estimated. 1t would be marvellous
even If it stood alone as an example of
war energy and resources, but while
this great fighting structure was ris-
ing the other parts of Britain's war.
like power were growing with com.
magnitude and swiftness