The Washington times., 1924-06-21
AIR SUPREMACY.
RAGE CAUSES
UNREST
Technical Experts Puzzled by
Probable Use OF Planes
in Next War
By WALTER DIETzEL.

by WALTER D1ETZELs
BERLIN, June 21.--Who is SO.
ing to be master in the air?''
The minds Of thousands Of tech.
nical experts Of all the great pow.
ers Of the world have been puz-
zled by this problem ever since the
Washington conference limited ma.
val ornaments and the nations
have been engaged In maddening
race for supremacy in the air."
says Doctor August ". Parseval,
famous German airman, in the
Hamburger Nachrichten.
There is no definite and hardly
any satisfactory answer to this
question. Provided that official air.
plane and airship construction be
correct, France seems to rank
first. But there Is Great Britain
with its tremendous new air pro-
gram pushing to the front, and,
last but not least, the United
States Is making frantic efforts
to keep pace with its continental
rivals, driven by its traditional am.
bition to be first and best on all
territories Of technique and mach
inery.
Undoubtedly the World War
filled the nations with horror Of
the possibilities Of an invasion by
air. with industrial plants wrecked,
the administrative machinery de.
stroyed. and thousands OF homes
Of happy families turned into a
heap OF ruins within a couple of
hours. America especially took
this lesson to heart. It il only
natural that in a country where
the ideals OF freedom, liberty and
justice are worshipped so widely
and profoundly the air menace
appalls the minds Of the bravest.
Americas air fleet, therefore,
is chiefly a powerful defensive
weapon.
Invasion via Ocean Different.
OF course, there is no immediate
danger Of invasion by airplanes
flying right across the ocean from
a continental base. They could
not carry with them the amount of
fuel necessary for such a long dis.
lance. But there is the menace Of
large auxiliary craft transporting
airplanes on the high seas to a
strategically favorable field of op-
Grafton. Ships Of that type have
the size and the fighting strength
Of small cruisers, their high speed
rendering them quite a formidable
weapon. Some OF these aircraft
cruisers which have lately been
constructed could very easily carry
about one hundred airplanes. at a
time. With sufficient training in
maneuvering. such a squadron
might work Unreasonable havoc
on the eneny's coasts and cause
considerable damage to it's mercan-
tile fleet.
Planes In Warfare,
~The employment of aircraft In
land warfare, thoroughly tested
| during the war, will assume gigan-
tic proportions In future wars. It
Is, however, ridiculous to believe
that whole provinces or the area
covered by a large city could be
| destroyed within few days.
Actions on such a scale need a
long and careful preparation. But
by inflicting local damage traffic
and trade might be seriously ham
pered and public life be paralyzed
by a panic-like excitement of the
enemy country's population.
Aircraft in the foremost battle.
front will always remain a power
full, though not decisive, weapon.
They form cheap substitute for
the cavalry, by far exceeding the
latter in destructive power and do.
ing the recommending much quick.
er and better.
Strength Of Air Fleets.
'The approximate strength Of
the worlds air fleets may be esti.
mated as follows: