Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-08-23
u. s. to Haze Huge
Air Fleet BY Next July



and asked that this nation concentrate upon
arplanes. When the French mission ar
rived its experts pleaded earnestly for the
same action. The Italians were IN full
accord. The United States was undecided
as to where she should strike. After hear
Ing the preponderence OF expert testimony
she looked the situation in the face. She
decided that arplanes promised best results
- OF all possible ventures, but that she a
right busy dame and need not neglect her
pies because there were cookies IN the oven.
The evidence showed that the United
States could unquestionably win complete
domination OF the air. The experts know
the power of airplane production of which
Germany is capable. They estimate that
the Kaiser can have $500 flying machines
on July /. The production of France and
England is little greater and between
them they should have 1000 planes Thus
would there still be a deadlock. with a slight
advantage in favor Of the Allies.
10000 PLANES BY JULY
But upon this first of July the United
States will have in France 10000 airplanes
Thus will the Allies have four times the air
strength OF the Central Powers The pre-.
ponderance of that strength will steadily
Increase for, after America has produced
the first 10000, she can steadily turn out
1000 a month, for then the mill will be
working
Indicate roughly the end at which this coun-
try aims II she needs to build more planes
to establish the desired relation between the
Allies and Germany, she can do So The
United States has power of airplane pro-
duction that is greater than that of all the
rest of the world combined and will build
the machines necessary.
The measure of the capacity of the ma
tion to build fighters of the air is based
largely upon automobile production. The
country that can produce many automobiles
has the basic industry for the making of
airplanes. In the United States today there
are 100000 automobiles, virtually all
made here. In all the rest of the world
there are 5000 automobiles, many of
them made in the United States The
people who make the autocars of the world
need not fear competition with one ILL
supplied nation in the building of airplanes.
AIRPLANES AND VICTORY
But have said to these experts: Grant
ing that we have the machines. what will
happen? How will they win the war?
Whereupon they have taken great pains
to make one who knows nothing of this
game understand just how airplanes mean
sure victory.
In the first place there was Messines
Ridge. The British first established alb
solute dominion of the air at Messines
Ridge, At four o'clock In the morning the
fliers arose in such numbers that they gran,
that left the ground. These battles mostly
occurred four miles up, where the fighting
machines maneuver for advantage While
they were so engaged the spotting machines
were sitting" 10000 feet up, protected from
attack and giving their own batteries the
locations of those OF the enemy. BY six
O'Clock seventy-two German batteries were
out OF action. Then came the charge when
took the Ridge with little loss to the at
tackers.
Ip..t
were playing an entirely new part They
were trying their hand as active partici-
pants in battle on the ground Where
re-enforcements were being brought up fight
ing planes swooped down upon them anC
raked them with their machine guns The
attacks were deadly and demoralzng
They fell upon columns in retreat They
cut communications by dropping explosives
on railroads and highways. They bombed
supply stations and swooped down on Off
GERS In automobiles going from one part of
the battlefield to another. This participa-
ton in the ground fighting was most suc- |
cessful and offers large possibilities when
there are plenty of machines.
When our first 10 900 airplanes, with tSa |
men to handle them. have arrived in France |
tne torce OF this sort of attack will be many |
times what 1t was at Messnes. The air |
force Is wonderfully easy to concentrate |
and may be used here today and there to- |
iOi tHt uOHlllldtlOn OF one front |
another. No German line will be safe when |
TINS is accomplished The Allies can 20 |
through and on to Berlin |
ZEEBRUGGE AN OBJECTIVE
but there will be some other tasks that
would be better performed before the march |
10 beriin. There Is Zeebrugge, for instance, |
from which submarines go to sea to harass |
Ahheu commerce. Zeebrugge is not far from |
the Hindenburg line nor from the British |
coast. Some fine mOrpinR ,,,llt
nitch up team of a thousand airpIanes
In the lead they will be working those thor |
oughbreds of the stables the fighting ma |
chines There will be some 200 of these |
capable OF meeting and destroying whatever |
herman planes may appear. The 500 that |
follow will carry explosives, each bearing |
from one to two tons of 1t. Explosive is a |
Mandy thing TO drop Twelve hundred tons |
Oh 1t scattered out more or less thnly over |
the submarine bases at Zeezrugge may be |
depended upon 10 hit in enough places of |
strategic value to mess up the entire scene |
In distressing manner. Those shore bat |
Ieries that hold off the fleet will be es- |
pecial targets and may be expected to suf- |
Ter. The fiiers will spot for the fleet which |
will cooperate in the attack and which |
viii be willing to sacrifice a few dread
ioughts Zeebrugge may be depended upon
10 succumb Certainly II will cease to be
IN effective submarine base.
what VIII happen at Zeebrugge Is sure
o take place at Essen, and assuredly no
Industrial town can endure such an attack
dappiest prospect of all will be the day
yhen the greatest air force the world has
ver known may fall upon the Kiel Canal
md rob Germany Of that feet which she
las so persistently hugged to her breast in
he false hope that time would come when
could strike mighty blow at Britain.
|uch flying squadron should be able to
ut an end to the whole German feet
Then there is, Of course, the possibility ]
the coming Of a time when the Allies
III decide upon reprisals and act that Ger
1Any may be made to pay the penalty for
o. outrages upon noncombatants In Eng
IND and France and upon the high seas.
|(gltn might be paid visit from the army
~ oles and sifts down destruction. The
l4 from such . visit from this vast
~ Ect>be 'eaaily -oompare1 wk<h .thHt