New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-10-04
Lloyd George
Promises Air
RaidReprisals
Premier Says Britain Will
Bomb Germany With
Compound Interest

LONDON, Oct. 3.-What Germany
hopes to accomplish by means OF ner
continued siege Of London from the
air is not quite clear. But 1t at least
is clear what she has accomplished
She has caused q sudden and serious
demand for reprisals, which was an
swered by Premier Lloyd George to-
day when he told crowd Of poor peo-
ple from the southwest district OF the
city. which suffered heavily in recent
raids:
eve will give it all back to them,
and we will give il 70 them soon. We
shall bomb Germany with compound
interest"
The possibilities and importance OIL
air warfare have been brought home to
the British military and civiilsns oy
tho campaign Of the last ten days as
only experience could bring them home
The result is that virtually the whoie
press and public opinion are now de-
nanding that the policy OF passive DE
fence for England and the watchwora
"Composure," which the government
heretofore has urged upon the people
be dropped, and that a strong air omen
sive against Germany be waged I'M
mediately.
Even papers like "The Manchesttr
Guardian" which have taken the line
that air raids accomplished little, be-
cause they succeeded in killing or
manning only an infnitesimal number
of people compared with the casual,
ties on the battle front, have changed
their policy.
What the German air raids and the
threats of attacks on England have
accomplished In a purely military way
is known to the whole world. and 10
none better than the Germans. By the
employment of some fifty machines
and at the most two hundred men, in
cluding aviators and mechanics, the
enemy has forced England TO detach sew
eral hundred valuable guns and several
thoeeand men, including skilled gun
ners. for home defence, and also a large
number of machinists, searchlights with
operating stats and other experts. The
men and material devoted TO this often
sivc is small compared with the men
and maA,rial these attacks compel Eng
land to maintain for the defensive.
The London papers describe vividly
and minutely that the normal life of
the largest capital in the world and of
important coast cities has been dis
turbed for ten days on end, and that
the industries and working capacity
of the people of London have been Sc
riously handicapped.
Local and suburban travel has been
largely at . standstill during these pc
S-Yfvds, and all classes Of nightworh
have been interfered with, while the
day work has been curtailed that clerks
and workmen might get TO thstf.hones
from Offices, factories and shops before
the expected raids began. Ten thou
sand persons who are not compelled
to remain in London have moved tc
country resorts at a large aggregate
expense, and the late afternoon train:
have been packed with the nightly
exodus. Many poor families have
camped in suburban parks and COM
mons.
The poor, as usual. are the greatest
sufferers. The West Enders live in
substantial houses, which afford them
comparative safety, but there are many
square miles of small dwellings the
occupants OF WHICH nave " t"he
their chances.
What the people of London are ask.
ing is why they should undergo these
attacks without the Germans having "a
suffer similarly.
The following extract from the
"Rheinische Westfalische Zeitung,'
quoting the London correspondent OF
the Dutch paper, "Maasbode," gives the
German point of view:
81 have experienced several raids,
the correspondent is quoted as saying
"and again on July Is the sounds OF
heavy shooting brought me from bed
/ saw German aeroplanes dropping
bombs on ths Tower Of London and
the Waterloo Station. One of the
towers was seriously damaged. The
station WAS unhurt. In other parts OF
the town, however, the damage was
very extensive. counted nine dead
and twenty-five wounded persons.
Toward / o'clock a second attack
took place. This time the Houses OF
Parliament were badly damaged. The
explosion of the bombs was so severe
that the crews Of distant ships were
thrown into the river by the concus-
sion. On August ls another airship
appeared, whose bombs were successful
ly directed on Hyde Park and Piccadil-
ly. The panic was indescribable.