The Washington herald., 1917-12-02
PLANES COULD WIN WAR.
John L. Quinn Says Flyers Would
Defeat Germany Quickly.
Editor The Washington Herald:

Editor The Washington Herald:
ITO win the war in as short time ns
possible. please permit a suggestion
with a few comparisons for your con-
sideration:
The quickest way to trim a tree
of all its limbs Is to cut down the
tree and then cut off the limbs.
THE submarine is but one limb of
the German war machine, and the
cost in men. food, money and NUM-
tions to cut it of would seem as great.
IL not greater, than to capture the
main supporting body-Germany.
"a hollow iron ball six inches in
diameter composed of a cast iron shell
one inch thick. with a small opening
in the side will withstand the heavy
blows of a hammer in the hands Of a
strong man without breaking 1t be-
cause it IS supported all around. but
it may be filled with water. allowed to
freeze and it will burst wide open, or
it may be filled with water, placed
over a hot fire for a short time and it
will soon be blown to fragments.
Here a small quantity Of water ac-
complishes what a strong man and a
heavy hammer cannot. Germany has
not been touched. Like the hollow
iron ball it is comparatively small, but
strong fortified. and for three years
has successfully withstood the ham,
mering of millions of men and (muCh
as 1 regret to say iO may continue to
harass the rest of the world for a
long time yet, unless she can, like the
hollow iron ball. be broken from the
inside
How can It be done?
Proverbs I'LL, An evil man seeketh
only rebellion, therefore a cruel mes
senger shall (should) be sent against
m."-The Kaiser.
Build 10000 aeroplanes, each
capable Of carrying two.men-the Oper-
ator and one soldier-and capable OF
long flights. Send them into the un-
protected rural districts Of Germany
through which railroads run. 10,OOC
planes to alight close to railroads, the
1C.OOO soldiers therein, armed with
crowbars, cant hooks, axes and wire
cutters, run to the railroad tracks and
with one mighty pull destroy them by
pulling and twisting them from theil
beds. cutting all wires, burning al
bridges and buildings, food and feed
of every kind. then return to the
planes, and, like eagles, fly away to
another isolated rural railroad, anC
repeat, while $500 planes patrol the
air to protect them in their humane
work, but under no circumstances tC
molest the harmless members of Tho
rural population. Let 1900 planes be
used in dropping German literature
provided by the allies for the German
people, while 65 700 drive the Germans
out of the air.
Such an aerial feet could feed or
the fat of the German land for a week
at time, while a fleet of 1000 planes
could supply them with gasoline from
the outside.
THUS, in thirty days more dam.
age could be done than Germany
could replace in a year. Shortage Of
steel would make the replacing Of
rails a difficult problem. All rura
sections could not be guarded; the
rural population would be driven in.
to the cities; soldiers could not bt
moved; munitions could not bt
moved; food could not be moved
munition factories would be cut OF
| food and feed would be neglected
in unprotected rural districts. Tht
advantage which they have had in
the past by being small would now
become an equally great disadvan'
tage to them.
big guns defending cities ant
munitions factories would have NJ
terror for our men as they coulC
stay out Of their range; German sol
diers in trenches would soon b.
hungry; the cities would soon be- over
run with men, women and children
the German people would boil to thu
exploding point; mass-meetings ant
counter mass-meetings would follow
and then-an explosion from within
the German people would scalp the
Kaiser while he was engaged In rush.
ing the soldiers hither and thither t.
preserve order; battle lines would b
shortened; hungry German soldiers II
the tyenchss would Be eaptvred RZ thi