Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-06
|ARPOST PLANES
| NOW CARRY GUNS
Submarine Raid Off Jersey
Leads to Arming of Fliers
as Precaution
FIRST DUE HERE TODAY

Postal airplanes onerating between
this city, New York and Washington
now carry special messages for invad-
ing Germans. in addition to the regular
mail for Americans
The message for the Teuton will be
folded in a rapid-fire machine gun oper-
ated by the aviator
One of the armed planes Is expected
to reach the aerial mall station at
Bustleton late this afternoon from
Washington piloted by Lieutenant Kill
gore.
Decision to arm the aerial mail SER
vice was reached following the recent
U-boat attacks off the Atlantic coast.
Some of these craft. many officials be-
lieve, have especially prepared decks
which makes II possible to launch a
plane of small type while out at sea.
Some military men were of the opin-
ion that the enemy would use hydro
planes for such attacks but experts In
the service are convinced that the
small type of war plane will be used
Air Invasion No Longer Remote
While many scoffed at the possibility
Of aerial invasion sometime ago, IT Is
now being given serious consideration
in view Of the proximity of the U-boats.
AS result not only the mail planes. but
every air craft will be armed to give
any visiting German the proper greeting.
A small machine gun of the type used
by the regular army will be mounted
in the plane and so placed that the
aviator may fire it and also guide the
aircraft
Arming Of the aerial mall carriers
is the first step toward providing an air
patrol for cities along the entire coast.
Il is said Some sections of the coast
are now covered by the regular war
planes.
Washington. Philadelphia and New
York will not only be protected by the
mail planes. but also by others which
will be armed and pressed into service
without delay. Military authorities be-
lieve that Germany will try to send a
plane over American soil for moral
effect IL for no other reason. Therefore
Uncle Sam has decided to give 1t some
thing to remember the visit.
Although the shell fired by the ma
chine guns mounted on the aerial planes
Is but two inches In length, 1t is suf-
fcient. II 1t strikes, to carry death to a
German aviator and put his machine out
of business.
Ready for Any Emergency
As many of the planes used in the
aerial mail service are equipped with
Liberty motors, there Is good reason to
believe that any inquisitive boche who
noses around this neighborhood will be
assured of quick action. Incidentally,
| the aviators on the mail route are well
equipped as far as air generalship Is
concerned to carry the fght from all
angles.
| In addition to Lieutenant Kilgore,
Lieutenants Webb Miller and Culver,
Bonsall and others who operate on the
| for battle within few days. -
None of the aviators at Bustleton
would discuss the Governments plans
for arming the aircraft this afternoon.
When Captain B, B. Lipsner was aues-
toned concerning the subject he begged
| to be excused.
All he would say was, Woe to the
Hun who comes our way"
Captain Lipsner Is the representative
of Captain c. A. Weidenbach. chief of
the air-mail service at Washington.
Several of the men in the aerial-mail
service are what are known as night
fiiers, and are thoroughly prepared to
| give action to German visitors. no mat
Lter what time they choose to call