Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-11-04
INVASION OF GERMANY.
BY AIR IS DISCUSSED
Editor OF Magazine Believes Such Il
Plan Would Prove Most
Feasible.
OUTCRY FOR REpKIsaLs ON HUN
Prussians Have Hundreds of Miles OF
Territory to Protect, Which Makes
IL II Task OF Many Difficulties and
Cnccrt ainties,
BY e.. &. GREY.
international News Bureau


1t seems that the Carrying Of aerial
war into Germany is nov at last as
suminE/ serious proportions. and that
the. people of the great Rhineland mn-
milton centers are beginning 10 have
4 considerable foretastc of what will
happen when the indcpendcn.t air force
Is fully equipped for its work.
Over two years ago the Germans be-
gan bombing London. and rs a result
there was an outcry for rcprisals. The
air agitation, rs il was commonly
lions. but nothing serious WAS. done at
the moment. The chiefs of the royal
ing corps realized fully what might
be done II men and the aerOplanes had
been ayailable for ADEQUATE air raids
INTO Germany. but at that date. owing
I" the mistaken policy or the govern
,nsnt before and early entrance in the
war there were not enough 10 supply
the needs Of the navy and army; Con-
sequentiy Germany was allowed to go
Tree for the time being.
However. the direct result OF the air
aEitatiom Of 1916 was the appointment
Of Mr. William Weir TO the controller
ray A. the very, beginning of 1917. The
rapldity with which the output OF aero
that .na year vas altoge,her remarkable.
ana accounts quite comprehensbly for
the c9nidencc which everybody con-
Weir, Secretary OF state for the air
f"rre i,:' ne Is to-day.
, i" him is Erimarily due the fact that
germany itself Is now beginning 10 feel
the effects of air war. for il is 10 his
driving power that we owe our vast
mental ability that we owe the new
policy under which our brilliant de-
Outraged to produce new and i'm :
proved types 81 aeroplanes. whereas
before his day the rule WAS TO have
aeropianes and engines built by gov
,Tiincni designs. which resulted IN Il
dead leycl of solid nediocri,y. The
result - That both in quantity and
force = ar hpt q =
equipped to-day than the enemy has
ever, been Which. incidentally. does
further room for Improvement on our
Given tho necessary men and ma
CHIMES. success in tho ra'dine OF Ger
tnanE depends on the general Office
which might cauaiiy VIII ' Sand wi' for
IMPERIAL air force. some day---has at its
head an officer who holds The complete
affection. respect and confidence Of all
nose who have ever served under him
he re is rot only a great leader OF men.
nut great stratcS list and tactic!an.
Which accounts for the pilots and OBJ
servers of tho J. y. r: constantly doing
storms and foGs and darkness. which
could only hc done under the inspira-
tho, ,ion Of a great c@mmagYdsri Dopb,css
Is the q. O. &. !. \. T.. but =. lie has
not yet been mentioned in, an official
eolspatch one must presumably refrain
An being thus well, consider the cf-
Wish to raid England eh the enc can mrm @nly
reach London OF all our munition areas
Ihus VIC have only to defend one area
have to defend a line OF several hun
frontier to Essen, and behind That long
line-is an immense area simply full OF
munition centers. Only just over the
continguous districts round Zaarburs.
DillinGen and the mining country OF
Alsance Lorraine. which. is one, Of the
richest iron mining and iron foundry
,ya To defe eS ,h9s4 mines properly
needed for the defense OF London, Be-
YONG them. again. are all tho great
EHn e. smanufacturinS towns s.
TO Cologne, Dusseldorf and Essen. And
behind them arc the West German ad-
Karlsruhe. not TO mention the nerve
center Of Germany. the financial cap
ital. Frankfort
the output of munitions for "a shorter
or longer time. as may happen And a
in those places over which the raiders
pass; though they may never drop Il
bomb Al Of which reacts on the Ge.-
man army at the front by decreasing
their munition supplies. And of equal
Importance is the moral effect on the
starved and war-weary as they are.
now after four years, find the war
being carried into the heart Of their
own country.
Even if-as seems nossiblc-,hc
whole German army rctircS behind
the old German frontier. in the course
OF the next year SO. and is thus
able To put up Il serious defense against
air raiders. one believes that the g. q.
{. ]. a. F.--who has been called the
Foch of the air--wili. with the in
merely strike harder and strike far
Their into the heart of Germany.