The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-04-12
RICHMOND suNrELEGRA

the big manufacturing interests know
that the Zeppelins during this war
have demonstrated that when peace
comes they will be the greatest and
most important means OF international
communication. The Zeppelin engi-
neers know that under any conditions
except war Zeppelns cannot be de-
stroyed as easily az people imagine.
One time in Temesvar l met an Aus
TRAN captain of Zeppelin which had
raided Salonica. He told me 1t took
ten hours to dy from Temesvar to
Salonica, distance of about 700
miles. He told me that Zeppelins
could ny. and had gone from Namur.
Belgium. where there is base, to
Constantinople. Zeppelins had gone
from Constantinople to Bagdad, and
near Bagdad the Germans were build
ing Zeppelin base for an attack on
the Suez Canal. The success of the
English operations In Mesopotamia
have. of course, temporarily put an
end to these aspirations.
The German people are very easily
deceived. One time saw con6den-
tial report of the General Staff to the
German newspapers.
The report began by saying that
the East India docks near London
were burned and great storehouses
Of ammunition destroyed The docks
and storehouses on the London docks
were burned and many ships hit A
large cotton warehouse on Victiria
docks was burned. ST. George and
Lemon Streets were badly damaged
The city itself and the newspaper.
ar ~ hoA n
following objects we're especially hit:
"One tower of the Tower Bridge,
which was defended by anti-aircraft
machinery.
"Chancery Lane;
Liverpool Street;
"Morgate Street:
"Bishopsgate and Altgate and large
number OF streets. including whole
blocks Of houses, were destroyed"
l have not been in London since
February and March, 1915, so I must
leave these statements to those who
have been there, to correct. l have
been told by English correspondents
that the report was greatly exagger-
ated."
Zeppelin construction has develop
ed great deal during the war. The
three types have been wonderfully
changed. The largest are the social
ed IS. L.; the next are the regular
Zeppelins, and the third are the mar
inc airships. The new Schuette-Lanz
ships are over six hundred feet long
and have carrying capacity equal to
seven normal freight cars. All are
equipped with wireless telegraphy and
the second officer is usually the wire
less operator. These are the machines
which Germany plans to use in re-
establishing her commerce with the
United States. Under normal air
conditions, flying at an altitude of one
thousand feet, I was informed the
Zeppelins would be able to fly from
Hamburg to New York in less than
two days. The great possibilities of
Zeppelin communication cannot be
foreseen today. For carrying import
ant mail and express they can revolu-
tionize after the war the means of
communication. Passenger service,
too. will be established as soon as the
first trips have proved practical.
Germany did not send Zeppelins to
New York during the war because
they would have to cross England and
because there are no German ships
on the ocean to be OF assistance in
case of emergency. When Germany
begins her Zeppelin communication
with the United States she will have
to depend upon her ships at sea for
aid in case the air currents change or
in case of an accident
But for communication with China
and the Far East the time is not far
away when Germany will have plans
made for revolutionizing intercourse
between Europe and those powers. I |
have been told often by Zeppelin ex-
perts that all they need is peace time
conditions to perfect the Zeppelins for
this work. At present all Zeppelin |
construction is for war purposes. All
raids have taught the constructors
important lessons. The first raid over
Salonica was one of the most en-
tightening in this way. On that raid
the Zeppelin was shot almost to pieces !!
SO that it barely remained in the air. |.
But it returned safely to it's base,