The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1918-02-07
THE WAsHBURN TIMES, WAsHBURN, WIS.

of the Rhine. Everything that comes
from the heart of Germany to main
tain that warfare must come across the
Rhine on bridges. What, l ask you.
would be the diSOcation in OrganiZa-
ton and strategic preparation if, by
the employment of untold flights OF
bombing airplanes adequately protect
ed by single-seater fighters of the lat
est type, we could shatter every means
of communication across the Rhine?
With America in the field, / can en-
visage $4,000 airplaneS ready for use
at given moment. This would mean
an output by no means beyond the ca
pacity of British and American re-
sources.
"Then, with the collective offensive
power thus gathered together, it would
be strange if we could not, in one fell
swoop, strike one mighty blow towards
the final victory, and maybe shatter at
the same time, irrevOcably and definite
ly, the already wavering hopes of our
bastard enemy. We could do this even
though the Germans, as could scarcely
be avoided, knew full well of the prep
aratiOnS we were making"
Lack of AirpIanes Brings Attacks.
G. G. Gray, editor of the "Aero-
plane" law expert whose technical
knowledge is greater than that of the
parliamentary dignitares l have quot
ed, agreed emphatically with what they
had said. "Our army is in France"
he declared, because it is better to
attack the enemy there than it is to
stop at home and let him attack us
here. We at home help the army in
France by making munitions and sup
plying food for it, We are attacked
by German airplanes because we have
not enough airplanes of our own TO
prevent the enemy from crossing the
sea.
"If we had had as big an army in
1914 as we have now, we should now
be invading Germany instead of fight
ing in France, or more probably the
war would have been over a year or
two ago. If we had as big an air fleet
now as we shall have in a year. or per-
haps even in six months, we should be
dropping bombs by the ton in Germany,
and the end of the war would be near
at hand.
I'm 1913 the Navy league plastered
London with demand for $5,OOO,OOO
for airplanes, and we who worked that
agitation were ridiculed for the huge
ness Of our demands. Today l could
name dozen aircraft firms each of
which has orders in hand for more
than the million pounds which four
years ago was regarded as impossible
for our whole aeronautical grant.
Demand Grand Air Fleets.
"Our present demands, doubtless re-
garded as absurd by hidebound OFF,
Gals, are that we shall have an air fleet
over land which will go over the Ger
man army and will carry war into the
enemys country. And we demand an
air fleet over the sea that will make it
impossible for a German submarine to
show it's periscope within hundred
miles Of our coaSts-mOSt torpedoing
is done within the 100-mile limit, re-
impracticable today.
Nevertheless, there are plenty Of
untapped sources of supply for more
and more airplanes in this country, IL
the making of minor parts Is farmed
out to small firms, and If the system
of production is recognized and ac-
tolerated. Also there is huge output
to be had from America, if our new
ally will consent to accept ready-made
designs from Europe, and will not in
sist on waiting to do her own expert
menting.
"Given that huge air fleet which we
require, the rest Is fairly plain sailing.
By Systematically bombing all the aero
dromes In Flanders from which German
airplanes start for England, we can
force back their starting places farth-
er and farther till they are so far east
that they cannot reach the English
coast. After that we can devote our
air fleet seriously to stopping the war.
Would Shake Morale of People.
cat present we send few bombing
machines across the German lines and
blow up an ammunition dump, which
deprives a short portion of the enemy's
fighting line of some of it's ammuni-
ton, and at the same time provides
more work and wages for munition
workers in Germany. If, Of this, we
could afford to send a number of much
bigger bombing machines into Ger
many, and could drop many tons Of
bombs on the munition works, we
should stop work and wages, we should
cause distress and discomfort among
the munition workers, and we should
shake the morale and the resources Of
German people to the very core.
"With our modern long-distance
bombing airplanes, Essen, Krefeld,
Mannheim, Frankfort, and dozens Of
other big munition centers are we'll
| within our reach. The great Breybach
| basin, which from Saarbruck,' Saar-
bourg, and such towns supplies a very
| high percentage Of Germany's best raw
| material for steel, is only an hours
| flying from the French lines.
1.-THE stoppage of supplies from these
readable centers alone would so weak
en- and embarrass the German army
| that it's retreat to the Rhine must
| quickly enSue; and after that, with
| the aid of a fleet of airplanes such as
have described, we might reasonably
| look for an early and satisfactory
noace"