Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-09
MOST HUN AIR RAIDS
ARE NOT EFFECTIVE
Ninc-Tcnths of Attacks Oh Brit
ish Towns Fail Of Their
Objective.
AERIAL SERVICE DEF END S
General Ashnore Says London's
Defcnses Are as Nearly Per-
feet as Possible.

Peoples Palace. Mile End Road. at tho
opening OF the Air Services Exhibition,
said that for air purposes London MAS
as much In tho battle front as any town
on the Continent. and tho Germans did
all they could to 60 London moral and
material harm. Lord French had made
certain arrangements. the effect OF
which was that OF tho German ma
chncs. Zc?pcins or ucroplancs which
came over, ninc-tcnths failed TO attain
their objective. That Was something
TO have achieved.
II they had all tho guns. machines
and lights in tho world they could not
at present make absolutely certain
that no German machine would attack
London. What they could do ~as to
make It as difficult, az possible for the
Germans TO come. and that vas what
they had done.
y recent acroplane attack was made
in sewn waves. and there were odd
machines besides. All the attacks
were driven of by the barragc and
other arrangements. In the seventh at
tack two or at most, three. got through
and dropped bombs. The effect OF the
raids was, owing 20 tho defen5es. OK
traordina ri!" small compared with all
The efforts tho Germans put forward.
Public servants" added Genera!
Ashmore. arc doing their best nigh;
and day trying TO defeat the Huns who
come here Therefore IL would not be
altogether polite to hang US every
time bomb is dropped on London.
You would have 10 do lot OF hang
ing. and don't know that you would
he much better OF after you had
hanged us ALI
He added That he had under him
pilots who would take UP difficult and
fast machines no, only on moonlight
nights. but on pitch black nights.
Lord Cowdray. president OF the Air
Hoard. said that the task of his de-
partmcnt. which was no small one. was
to provide the Air Services with as
many machines as possible o: the best
type. There wcro hundreds uron hum
dycds OF thousands of men and women
engaged in the Manufacture OF aero
planes and their engines. machines
capable OF ryinS ~ an altitude at
which breathing was extremely diff
for some and could only be relieved
by the help OF oxygen. These ma
chimes were capable Of travelling at
more than double the speed OF the
quickest express train. They were be
ing manufactured 1T great and ever
increasing rate.
The momentary Inconvenience and
strain Of these raids we're nothing
compared to the demands on the navy
and army and the air services. We
should be playing the Hun game il
VIC allowed the raids to affect our
ncrvo or morale. He was sure the
country was with the government in
being determined that the Germans
would have TO pay in numbers in
deaths, and in money eventually. for
all the damage and injury they were
doing US now.
COMPULSORY RATIoNS
EXPECTED IN ENGLAND
There is a steadily Increasing belief
in England that compulsory ratious
must he introduced, ana that at the
earliest possible moment. rs much in
order to relieve present local shortages
Of foodstuTs for the ultimate win
ming of the war.
The tea, butter. margarine and sugar
queues. the rush for supplies wherever
they arc rumorcd 10 be obtainaSle, the
long waiting for quarter and half
pounds of essential foods, the lost time.
the diSappointmen;s-thes are telling
on the people, and resolutions have
been passed 10y public bodies In favor
OF compulsory rations.
The demand has gained a fresh i'm
pctus during the last few days. owing
to the scarcity OF potatoes in the mar
kets This has been general sur
prise. The crop of potatoes is enor-
nous. but they cannot he got to the
crowded ccnters OF population because
transport facilities are lacking.
AS matters stand at present certain
kinds of food accumulate enormously
in some places, while others can get
little or nothing of the kind. The diff
iiculty Of obtaining fish in inland dis
tricts is notorious. There have been
instances Of tons of bacon and pro-
visions periShinG owing to delay in
transport. and now potatoes-this year
the biggest crop ever grown in this
country-are waiting in thousands Of
tons in tho growing districts for
wagons to carry them to hungry peo-
pie who have been told that they
should eat potatoes several times n da y
in order TO economze breadstuff.
The threatened restrictions on de-
livery of food by motor vans from the
great stores in London and other cities
will still further increase the problem
OF supplying food to the people. In
numerous country districts there is
barely sufficient food already TO go
round, and local tradesmen are com
PEELED to refuse new customers. Yet
the limiting of the transports OF sup
piles from the cities is seriously con-
tcmplated.
Public opinion is saying that OF the
present stem of food supply and COM
pulsory rations the latter is the lesser
evil. because they feel that IL tho food
controller puts the nation on statutory
: allowances he must necessarily arrange
that the allowances shall be obtained.