The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1937-10-21
EUROPE CIRDS FOR BOMBING RAIDS
Good Oense Is Best Defense Against Aerial Attack, Nations
Believe; Race Is On to Build Planes, Train Airmen
BY WILLIAM UTLEY

Shanghai, Tientsin, Marking
and the other great Chinese me-
tropolises now forming targets
for deadly japanese bombs.
Europeans are watching the
ruthless attacks upon civilian
populations, and the wanton de-
struction of homes and public
buildings occupied by noncom-
batants in something of the
manner of the football scout
watching this weeks game to
perfect the defenses of his own
team for the big game that
looms in the future.
The World war gave Europe, and
particularly England, glimpse of
what might be expected in a few
years, after aerial bombing had per-
fected the efficiency lacking in its
infancy. Air bombers extend the
theater of war into the civilian pop
ulations of the great cities, reduce
to mockery the territorial bound
aries on a continent peopled by
many small nations and threaten,
when coupled with other agencies of
modern warfare, to wipe out Euro
pean civilization.
There are few qualified authori-
ties who believe that bombing ex-
petitions on large cities could
bring an entire nation to surrender
by SCATTERING its morale and upset
ting the structure of government.
The cities of Shanghai and Madrid
still stand, if their heads be bloody,
after months of ruthless, coldly-
planned attacks from the air. But
there is always the possibility that
the next time may be different, and
for this reason the race among Eu-
ropean nations to build air forces
and defenses against air forces of
their enemies has been heightened
of recent days to a fever pitch.
There are perhaps 10000 military
airplanes owned by the nations of
Europe today, and more thousands
are being turned out every month.
The same nations are pressing
plans of defense to completion
among both military and civilian
branches of the population with a
speed born of genuine fear.
Britons Excel Technically.
England, not soon destined to for
get the terrifying Zeppelin and Gotha
raids which drove London into
state of panic in 1917, is one of the
foremost in building her air defenses
and realizes that the best defense
is good offense, as they often say
in football circles. Her first
line strength Cat home, with the
fleet and abroad) numbers about
1900 planes, and her reserves,
called the best in Europe, raise the
total to 5000.
For a time England had difficult
ties in production, but is now build
ing about ITS planes a month, and
production is on the upswing, indi-
eating that perhaps these difficulties
have been Strengthened out. Tech
nically, her air force is head and
shoulders above the rest of the con-
tinent. Her airplanes are far better
than any of those operated or
under construction by any other Eu-
ropeanpower Her supermarine Spit
fire planes do 346 miles an hour
and she has bomberS capable of
nearly 300.
Measures taken to defend Eng
land from air raids exemplify al
most every precaution known upon
the continent. London is the heart of
the empire and, from the air, its
most vulnerable point. There TO-
100000 persons live within an area
of 1000 square miles.
England's ring of volunteer OBJ
servers to warn in case of air raids
extends out into France and Belgium
and is backed up by naval patrols
in the Channel. This serves to give
London an hours warning to mobi-
lie her defenses if raid is COM
ing; were the lookouts stationed at
the mouth of the Thames there
would be but 10 or Is minutes to
prepare. A few flying ships are
based along the coast for purposes
of reconnaissance. These are sup
plemented by a Volunteer Observ-
ers' corps of workers and other CIV
ilians equipped with airplane de-
tecting instruments. All file reports
with a central office to chart the
course of invaders.
Nets Hang From Balloons.
The first stationary line of de-
tense is the outer artillery ring of
guns and searchlights. Inside this
is a fighting zone in which squad
rons leave their airdromes within 80
seconds of receiving an alarm;
searchlights and a few fighting
planes which constantly patrol the
city point their way to the enemy.
Most sensational of. all London's
defensive measures is its next line,
the mobile balloon barrage. Steel
cables are hung in the air like a
net from a series of blimps, offering
both a psychological and physical
obstacle to the invading airman.
The last line of active defense is a
string of lbs three or four inch guns
and $50 searchlights across the
city of London itself.
The Home Office has undertaken
to unite the people in passive de-
tense schemes. One, aimed chiefly
to allay the fears of air raids is to
provide 10000, 900 persons with free