Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-22

bombs would aim to destroy the city's
water supply, blow up factories and
spread disease germs. 1ncendiary
bombs would aim to set houses and
factories on fire. Other bombs would
aim at attacking the citys source OF
light and power, as q result OF which
there would be no means of combating
the fire or of rendering first aid. Rail-
roads and other forms Of communica-
ton would be singled out for attack.
The danger from the air may thus
take a thousand forms. The very fact
that the precise nature and type Of
attack cannot be predicted will con-
tribute to the Generalization of both
military and civilian populations. Con-
sequently, for European nations at
least, the problem Of adequate defense
against air attack Is receiving increased
attention.
Col Vauthier' breaches the doctrine
that the best means of preventing an
enemy attack from the air is to take
the offensive and destroy the enemy's
air base. Each country, therefore, he
argues, must have an adequate force
of military planes for defensive pur-
poses. Likewise, it must have anti-air-
craft artillery and machine guns. Each
military force should have an Intelli-
gence Service which will know the ra-
dius of action and location Of enemy
planes, enemy methods of attack and
meteorological conditions.
Would Remove Populations.
In time of war, to detect the ap-
proach Of planes at night, special APP
paratus having acoustic properties must
be provided, as we'll as listening posts,
searchlightS and balloon aprons. Enemy
planes may be diverted from their OBJ
jective by decoys, whether in the form
Of smoke screens or of artificial lights
Although he urges the development
Of these methods, Col. Vauthier does
not believe they will be adequate to
prevent attack. Consequently, he out
lines series of preventive measures.
Arrangements must be made so that at
the moment Of air attack part of the
from the city, as If they we're going to
take week end, and those who remain
may be removed to shelter.
Gas masks should be available for
the entire civil population and f1reproof
caves, located more than so feet under
ground, should be dug, so as to pro-
vide safe refuge against bombs. A
system Of air pumps must be installed
and the caves must be made as gas
proof as possible. Subway tunnels under
city might be utilized for these pur-
ton must be organized and a system
worked out Of detecting gas and fight
ing fires. Substances to neutralize
enemy gas bombs must be found
Even these wartime measures, In
Col. Vautier's opinion, may prove in
adequate. Consequently, the cities Of
Europe should be reconstructed 50 as
to be less vulnerable to attack He pro-
poses that French cities should be made
fireproof, that the water systems be i'm
proved, that houses be regrouped so as
to dimint-h the surface covered with
buildings. He contends that such
measures will not only serve to
strengthen the defenses against air at
tack, but they viii advance the cause
Of city planning. Similarly, he has
schemes for the reorganization of COM
munication, industry and commerce, all
for the purpose Of increasing security
from air raids.
Dangerous to Neglect.
Yet even If all these measures were
taken the danger from the air would
continue TO exist "It Is terrible dan
ger, perhaps decisive and mortal dan
ger, for a nation which neglects 1t.
/. None of the means of active de-
tense at present known can guarantee
that enemy planes viii not ny over
the national sky" In the 1928 air ex-
ercises In London enemy planes were
able to drop 200 tons Of bombs upon
the city, despite the fact that the
weather was good condition which
favored the defense.
In view Of these vivid fears Of attack
from the air and Of the grave danger
to which civilian populations viii be
subject, it is logical that the demand
for the reduction and limitation of air
ornaments should be greater than Of
armies and navies. Nevertheless, less
progress in air limitation has been
made than in any other branch of ar
mament. This Is partly because the air.
arm is comparatively new. The fear
has been also expressed that any limi-
tation upon military aviation might
hamper the development Of non-mili-
tary aviation, a development which al
ready has meant much to world COM
munications. Moreover, it is difficult
to distinguish between non-military and
military planes which may not be used
for combative purposes upon the out
break Of war.
Allies Abandon Own Rules.
This difficulty arose when the allies
attempted to enforce aircraft prohibi-
tons upon Germany. The peace treat
les provided that Germany could not
maintain any military aircraft. Never
theleSs, they did not forbid civil avia-
ton. After long discussion Of whether
1t was possible to draw up satisfac-
tory basis for distinction, the Supreme
Council finally drew up nine rules on
November s. 1922. Germany commended,
however, that these rules not only pro-
hibited military aircraft. but also Sc
verely Handicapped civil aviation. Fol-
lowing the conclusion of the Locarno
agreements in October, 1925, the nine
rules became q dead letter.
At present while Germany is still
obliged not to maintain military planes,
1t has one Of che strongest civil avia-
ton industries in Europe, and the fear
is expressed that, should war break out,
these civil planes could be converted
instantly for military purposes, thus
rendering useless the prohibition Of the
present treaties
During the sessions of the Prepara-
tory Commission for the Disarmament
Conference, held in Geneva, all Of the
delegates except those from Germany
and the United States commended that
civil aviation was of highly potential
military value. France, Italy and six
other governments went so far as to
propose that, in order TO be efficient,
any method for air limitation must
provide for the limitation Of military
and civil aviation as a whole, other
wise any reduction in military craft
alone would be counterbalanced by an
expansion in civil craft.
The other governments, however, re-
fused TO consider the limitation of civil
aviation, and all that the draft con-
vention, which is to be the basis of
discussion at the forthcoming confer
ence, provides is that the number and
total horsepower, as well as personnel
Of military craft, should be limited.
Plane Built Overnight.
From the theoretical standpoint, the
limitation Of civilian as we'll as military
aircraft might be effective except for
one irnnnrfant fact AlthniIrh 81 tales