Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1918-08-15
Bombs the Best Weapon.


with placid enjoyment in New York
while he essayed prediction as to what
is going to happen to the Boche in the
year of grace, 1919.
His name is Frederick Villiers and he
has taken part in more wars than Alex
ander, Caesar or Napoleon ever knew
twenty-one to be exact. He has witt
ten war, painted war and evenled troops
on occasion. His opinion, therefore,
may have exceptional interest.
He believes that the war will be won
in the air and won quickly when the
time arrives. He sees tremendous
souadrons Of American, British, French
and Italian war planes flashing over
the German soldier hordes and obliterat-
ing them. He visions their great
cities wiped out by hurricanes of eX-
plosives. He is as certain as man
can be that when the Allies are ready
with their aircraft preparations Ger
many will be smashed within few
months.
81 would not be astonished if the job
could be done within space of two
months" said Mr.. Villiers. Imagine
what must occur. Airplanes by the hun
dreds and the thousands everywhere
over the German forces night and day,
ceaselessly raining down bombs. No
force of men, however disciplined and
determined, can stand such attack. They
must break and flee under it. And
while this is going on there will be
thousands of other airplaneS destroy
ing German cities and breaking the
spirit of the German people.
GAS view the war today, all that is
necessary is for the land force to hold
the German hordes where they are,
resolutely blocking them from Paris
and from the Channel ports. That is
being done heroically. The Germans
cannot break through. Probably by
the spring of next year America, Eng
land, France and Italy will have manu-
featured such quantities of aeroplanes
that the new phase of the war will have
begun. 1t will be terrible, but it will
be the justice of God himself. No
mercy must be shown these people.
They must be paid in their own coin.
Their cities must eb leveled as they
themselves have leveled the cities of
France and Belgium II will be done"
Mr.. Villiers, after some persuasion,
reviewed the main incidents of his own
career, starting with the Serbian war
against Turkey in 1876. Later he was
with the Russian Army against the
Turks in 1877, taking part in the bat
tie of the Passage of the Danube, Biela,
Plevna and Shipka. He had the luck
to be with Lord Beresford onthe Condor
at Alexandria in 1882, then went to the
coronation of Gar Alexander III, re-
turned to the Soudan and fought in the
broken square at lanai in 1884, adven-
tured with Admiral Hewitt on mission
to the King of Abyssinia, went up the
Nile to the relief of Khartum, partici-
pated in little wars in the Balkans and
in Burma, was with the Japanese at
Ping Yang and at the taking of Port
Arthur, was with Kitchener at Omdur-
man, saw the Boer War from first to
last, followed the Spanish forces in
Morocco, observed the Italian forces in
their Tripolitan campaigns and went
through the two Balkan wars.
81 believe | am qualified to venture
the assertion that the business of beat
ing the Germans by land operations will
be too long and costly task. 1t can
be done much more quickly and eff
fectively from the air. Germany can
not hope to match the aircraft resources
of the Allies. She has lost control of
the air already and every week sees her
weaker in that respect. In the mean
time the Allies have scarcely begun to
produce aircraft. Within a year they
will have manufactured enormous
quantities and then we will see. Prob
ably Germany realizes what is coming
and no one need be surprised to hear
a cry 60 up from the Germans that air
fighting must be interdicted. But they
will have to swallow their OWL medicine
bitter as it is"