Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-11-11
DIRIGIBLE NOW REALLY
ONLY AIR PATROL BOAT
Uncle Sam Does Not Believe
Slow Floaters Are Useless
in Warfare.

r. Is the dirigible useless as a war
weapon? The man on the street says
yes. The military scientist says no.
The man on the street points author
itatively to Zeppelin demonstrations
over London and says everybody rs
getting stoopshouldered in Piccadilly
from toting pieces of aluminium
plucked from the skeletons Of fallen
monsters. About the only annoyance
'Zeps" cause, in his opinion, is TO
the property owner on whose house
II falls and who has neglected to take
out any insurance. In the layman's
views, insofar as they relate to the
huge German contrivance, the milf
tary scientist acquiesces. But he'll
tell you that Wilhelmstrasse has mis-
used the Zeppelin-that the eCotistical
German staff has tried to make
soldier out of a perfectly contented
model, up-to-date policeman VINO
doesn't possess a gun, but has argus
eyes; that the Germans have read too
much of II. G.. Wells, A. Conan Doyle
and julius Verne and have not obeyed
the best counsellor of them all-com-
mon sense. In his opinion the dirigi-
BILE has a distinct and separate duty
from the airplane. 1t is the greatest
sentinel in the world, both from the
standpoint Of size and vision.
Importance Seen by Uncle sam
Uncle Sam knows this. He
knows, that for his part the dirigible
can be of incalculable service to him
and he is building them as fast as he
can.
But he isn't going to send them
ever to Strassburg, Cologne and Pots
dam to try and hit women and chill
dren-he is going 10 use them to sail
line watching for hostile craft that
might try to win iron crosses by
shooting shrapnel at our cities and
molesting the merchantmen that fol-
low beaten paths.
Put let Henri Julliot tell you
about it. NJ. Julliot is probably the
most noted of the aeronautical engi-
neers engaged in the construction OF
these giant craft He came to Amer
lea last spring TO superintend the
building of two huge Blimp type non &.
rigid dirigibles at the plant OF the
b. F. Goodrich ,ompany at Akron,
Ohio.
Julliot International Figure.
He came with a wealth OF expert
ence-the aerial watchdogs that roam
the coast Of England and France
watching for invaders represent his
handiwork. He brought with him a
lot OF trunks and a Gascon tempera-
ment. He brought with him a short
w,ll-set figure broad shoulders, a
studious, intellectual face, lent digni-
ty by a majestic imperial and a vivid
knowledge of the literary movements
of his war-swept country. He does
not like to he interviewed and his
black, dancing eyes tell you So He
walls himself up with his balloons and
reads and plans. You ask him about
balloons. fabric and he'll tell you
about Huysmans, Gautier or the in
fluence Of Baudelier on modern
French poetry. Deep in topic of
this kind he discourses passionately.
Then, once deep in his subject, the
Interpolation OF yelled challenge of
the worth of the dirigible, as compar-
ed to the aeroplane. strikes him poig-
nantly and he talks volubly.
Plane Versus Balloon.
THE aeroplane against the dirigi-
ble7' he questions, accepting the
gage. let me tell you something
about it," and his face grows animat-
ed. Your government is thoroly
alive to the possibilities of the light
er-than-air craft. It's advantages for
certain purposes over the many types
CT airplanes and seaplanes lie in the
fact that II answers the requirements
of both. The pilot is the complete
master of its speed and direction He
can remain stationary for hours at n
time, in still air, or he can attain a
speed of 45 miles per hour under the
same conditions. When the wind
blows the big bag moves at the same
speed. If the pilot wishes to change
his course from that of the wind he
opens the gas cocks of the bag and
seeks a lower strata of air or throws
out sand or water ballast until he has
fisen to a higher strata, where he
can again pursue his course at will
with his powerful eight cylinder driv-
en- propeller. You cannot do this
with an airplane. You are either ris-
ing or falling and at the same time
maintaining a high speed.
Dirigible's Part i'm War.
THE dirigible is just as big a part
of the war machine today as it ever
was. In fact, its possibilities are linz
itless. The attempts by the German
government to use it as a terrible Of
fensive machine are well known. The
consequences also are well known.
But the German government has yet
to realize that the dirigible because of