Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-18
London Wiped Ont, =

A, the result Of a series Of night All
raids nv enemy" aircraft over Lon
son rraneuvers which tested the anti
aircraft defenses 81 the British capital
that city. theoretically, is now marked
hv shattered, smoking ruins. The head
quarters Of the air force have been
ohIiterated, the home Of Winston
Churchill. chancellor of the excheouer'
!. dismal pile Of brick and mortar,
ard the various and gruesome heaps.
which. in the minds eye, are noted as
occupying large spaces Of the pubic
streets. are composed Of nothing less
than the mortal remains of former
happy and upright Englishmen.
Whist does Ii all mean? With star
tling frsnsness the British press con-
cludes that London has been almost
wiped of the map and that something
must be done. But what can be done?
The leaders az the big air force move
r,ent point 70 the fact that the air
force must be increased. that more two
scatter fighters must be provided to off,
get the increase In fast bonibers since
The war and that the only defense
against aircraft is attack against air.
craft. But David Lloyd George. the
liberal leader. concludes that what Lon
don needs is not more aircraft. but
less aircraft: that the demonstration
nver London has shown conclusivcly
that var in the air In the future viii
mean devastation and humiliation. So
the thing 10 Dc is TO limit aircraft ano
tiisarr1
One of the radical London newspapers
laughs at the whole performance ana
saws it does not mean anything, for more
recple have been killed in street acci-
dents In London in four years than the
Germans killed By their air raios
throughout the war and that a poison
gas which the sisrmists conclude would
have oepopulated London is unknown
IN SCIENCE. But another radical organ
draws the opposite conclusion and de-
elares that the authorities who planned
The mimic air raids should have taken
the opportunity to train the CIVILIAN
rorulafion I'm the use OF gas masks. to
make men end women expert by the
nsxt war Several French organs con-
clude that the air force demonstration
vas intended To create popular support
Of the Franco-B British entente.
tn. oficial report of the maneuvers
merely relates that $50 ships were en-
razed on both sides; that the attack
took place each day between pm. and
asm.. that $50 900 miles were flown
bv opposing aircraft. and some three
hundred tons Of bombs were dropped.
Only isa fighters were lost, though Isl
hcmbers were declared to have been
brought down by defense aircraft and
tusntv-one we're sunk by anti-aircraft
guns.
OF course. the whole thing was In
fun, anyhow: and IL the maneuvers had
not been accompanied By the roar OF
sirplane motors all night long and the
brilliant glare and display Of search
iiEhts and signal rockets, they would
rot have created nearly 50 much inter-
est. And If the experiment had moi
taken piaes in the midst Of the dull
Summer season. It might not have at
trscted 30 much attention. As IT was
there vas nothing much going on al
the sine-outside Of the fact that tbs
American Secretary Of State was taking
snip for Paris. where ne is 70 meet the
statesmen Of other leading world powers
% sign with them treaty renouncinG
var as a national policy.