The Washington times., 1937-04-30

comb1tGntS-tDonlen and child
ren-killed, indicates terror lDill
be a Dedpon used in the "neTt
Udr" to degree unknolDn in the
tDorld conflict, according to H. r.
Knickerbocker, international
NetDS Service correspondent. Mr..
Knickerbocker oiUeS a description
OF this situation in the tDGr zone.
He has Just returned to London to
send uncenSored dispatches on
latest deUelopnl entS In Spain.
BY II. r. KNICKERBOCKER
CWorId Copyright, 1887, by International
News Service. Reproduction in Whole
Or in Part Strictly Prohibited.
LONDON, April 30.-Women
and children, unarmed old men
and boys below military age--1n
short, non-combatants-wiu be
the chief victims of the next war.
War planes destroy, but they do
not decide the issue.
These are the lessons the
Spanish civil war has taught
Europe, which shoulders today at
destruction of the defenSelesS
town of Guernica, ancient Basque
capital by German bombers.
Proves PesSimists' Point
Regarded from a purely military
standpoint, the destruction of
Guernica, with an estimated 800
CT its 5000 citizens killed, is taken
to prove the pessimists' point that
frightfulness will be employed in
the next war to degree unknown
in the last.
This confirms the theory upon
which Britain is rearming with
such desperate haste in the air,
namely, that the enemy will at
tempt to break the spirit of the
civilian population by mass bomb
ing of cities regardless of whether
they constitute immediate military
detectives, and that the only way
to protect the nation against such
attacks is possession of adequate
means of retaliation.
The Basques don't possess such
means, for Madrid is keeping its
airfleet for its own defense, and
this remains substantially true
despite the report that 40 red
planes have been sent to Bilbao.
ArOuses Unique Reaction
To put the Guernica bombing
in proper perspective, it must be
remarked that the reds as well
as whites, throughout the nine
months war, have persisted in
bombing enemy cities, and I per-
Sonally have taken refuge for
hours from red bombers attack
ing cities full of civilians, such as
Burgos, Salamanca and Talavera
de la Reina.
Nevertheless, these cities had a
military objective and the civilian
casualties could be ascribed to
accident.
The dimensions Of the killing at
Guernica and the fact it was with
out military defense or military
significance combined to arouse a
unique reaction in neutral coun-
tries.
Air Force Put at 400 Each
It is possible now to attempt a
review Of Spanish aerial warfare.
At this moment, judging from
what I have been able to observe
during my last three weeks So
journ in Spain, the reds and
Tv1oitns hova narLonc a &nto1 oF Ann
war planes each, about equally di-
vided between bombers and fight
erS.
Most of the white war planes
are concentrated in northern air.
dromes for operations against Bill
bao. I saw 40 at Victoria and a.
at Burgos, while much larger mum.
bers were flying from positions a
few miles behind the lines at
Guipozcoa.
The majority of white bombers
are giant tri-motored Germs n
Junkers, while the fighters are
mostly Italian Flats. The Ger
mans, however, have a few score
Heinkel fighters, while the Italians,
likewise, have a few Savoia, Mar
chetti and Caproni bombers.
The Germans and italians fly
their own planes and have indie.
pendent organizations operating
through liaison officers with rebel
Generalissimo Francisco Franco.
The Germans have done most of
the bombing, while the Italians,
in their pursuit planes, which ap-
pear superior to the Germ a n
"Jagd" machines, have done most
of the air fighting.
The red side has virtually every
known variety of military airplane
used except the German and Ital-
ian types, but the majority now
in service are Russian and French.
A Forecast of Next War
Simple arithmetic can give
what has happened in the air war
in Spain and what may be ex-
pected if there is an international
war.
Francois headquarters officially
state that to date the rebels have
brought down 365 enemy planes.
They are certain they have
brought down Sc more and doubt
full about an additional IS.
Official figures of the reds are
not available, but unofficial esti-
mates put the white losses about
an equal number.
This means each side has lost
in nine months about the MIN