New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-10
9 German Planes
We're Destroyed
In London Raid
Lloyd George Announces
Six of Protecting Squad
ron Were Lost

London. July 9.-Twenty-two air
planes Of the Gotha bombing type took
part in the raid on London last Satur-
day. Premier Lloyd George announced
at the secret session of the House of
Commons this evening, according TO
the official account. Three of the raid
ers were destroyed and six machines OF
protecting squadrons also were de-
stroyed. Following is the official ac-
count Of the secret session:
"The Premier opened the proceedings
by giving briefly an account of the raid.
lie said twenty-five airplanes of the
Gotha bombing type, carrying about 500
pounds of explosives apiece, came over
London. OF the three destroyed, one
was by the machines actually protect
ing London. Besides this, out of the
protecting squadrons which the Ger
mans organized to assist the return Of
the raiding squadron, six machines
were destroyed and one damaged.
The attack, in fact, had not sheen
made with impunity. He wished TO
point out that the first fact the House
should get into its mind was that com
plete protection in the air could never
be secured
Activity of British Aeros
AT the front our machines daily are
crossing over the German lines. and
despite the most terrible anti-aircrat'
re and very powerful German air
souadrons. they are yet able regularly
70 bomb stations and headquarters be-
hind the Geriiman lines. That is pos
sibls daily in a region where German
airplanes and anti-aircraft strength 10
concentrated most closely. The house
should realize that no measure would
give complete immunity. The nearest
approach to immunity lay in making
their visits so costly that they would
not become worth the Germans while.
ole wished TO point out also that
during the last four or five months our
naval bombing airplanes had dropped
over seventy tons Of explosives on Ger
mqn airdromes in Northern Belgium,
and had dropped six tons on those very
airdromes the night preceding the raid,
whereas the total amount dropped by
the Germans here was only some two
tons.
"The first consideration before the
government was TO insure that the
army in France was supplied sufficient
~ with airplanes. They were the
army's eyes. without which it was i'm
possible to advance. To photograph
tho enemy's works required air SUI
premacy. and without that supremacy
il was sheer murder to allow troops TO
advance.
"Twcnty-eight fatal casualties suf-
fered by the civilian population IN the
last raid was very rcgrettable, but I'M
loss the troops at the front were sup
plied with sufficient airplanes to Sc
cure proper. knowledge of the German
trenches and positions and to GUIDE
the artillery barrage their losses might
easily be not twenty-eight, but $4,000.
Must Protect Army
"The slightest deficiency in airplane
work and single machine gun en-
placement overlooked might in a Few
minutes mean the loss OF thousand
lives. The country's first duty was TO
protect these men.
ar the Germans realize the impor-
we. and they were trying TO diminish
our superiority by attempting to force
us TO withdraw machines from France
i'm order TO protect our home towns: II
the Germans knew by bombing English
towns they could compel US TO with
draw fghting squadrons from France,
nothing would encourage them more.
Nothing could be more disastrous to
military operations than to encourage
the Germans 10 believe that they could
by these raids excite such a clamor in
this country that the government would
be unable 10 resist the demand for the
withdrawal of airplanes from the front.
"If airplanes could be provided both
at the front and for defence against
raids il would of course be done; II
not. tho army must come first, and it
is vitality important that the Germans
should know il. He feared that some
OF the articles in the press might pre-
vent the Germans from knowing il.
"He saw something Of the people in
the raided district few hours after
ward. He never saw people face dis
aster with greater cheerfulness and
constancy. Nowhere were there signs
OF panic.
People Must Take Risks
1.-THE Premier said he was certain
that if the people of this country re-
allied that all our strength for the
moment must be put into establishing
supremacy in the air in order TO win
victory at tho front. they would be
prepared to take risks, which, after all.
were not comparable to the risks run
by our soldiers.
"The Germans had made prodigious
efforts for air supremacy in the last
twelve months. We in the last six
months have increased enormously our
capacity for turning out machines, have
extended existing works. built new ones
and added more than $4,000 men TO the
workmen in the works. The Cavern
ment has quickened production and
enormously improved the type Of ma
chimes.
THE governments information was
that German capacity production was
inadequate to compete with the pro
vision Great Britain has made. Up TO
this time. however. the increase only
had been gradual. IA measures taken At
an earlier date had not yet had time
10 reach full fruition. but production
was now going up by leaps and bounds.
We would, indeed, have been far better