The Birkenhead News and Wirral General Advertiser. — 1916-03-11 (Birkenhead, Merseyside, England)

SATURDAY. 31ARCH ii. 1916.  T e amniaAn Anti-"Zep" Victory. tional deleat of the Coalition candidate in East Herts. by Mr. Pemberton-I:tilling, until recently a Squadron-Commander in the Naval Air Service, should serve to convince the Government that the country is profoundly dissatisfied with what has so far been done to meet -the German attacks from the air upon our English towns and villages. The new member—the member for Air, ae he will probably be entitled— fought his battle exclusively on, the question of our defences against the aerial invaders, and it is not too much to say that the verdict of the East lie-ta electors will be very generally approved throughout the Kingdom, and emphatically ao by the inhabitants of those-di&  trims which have had first-hand and tragic experience of a raid by Zeppelins. Mr. Pemberton-Billing has been scoffed at in some quarters as an opportunist. and "boomster," but even those who have sought to belittle him have been unable to dispute the fact that be is an expert in regard to warfare in the air. A skilled and daring aviator, he organised and led the aerial attack upon the Lake Constance aerodromes last summer which resulted in the destruction of at least one Zeppelin, and the demolitioa of two of the vast hangars in which the monsters are housed. He retired from the f 3rvioe for the sole reason that he was profoundly dissatisfied with the manner in which the British home authorities were providing, or attempting to provide for the protection of the public against German raiders, and, as a letter he produced the other day in self-defence against a charge of boastfulnees and untruth proves, he took that step against the expressed wishes of hia superiors. Mr. Billing was in London lain September on the occasion of the murderous Zeppelin raids which occurred on succeeding nights, and fought Mile End against a Government-lib-Mine-a by way of protest against what he considered the inadequacy of the means ,f defence against the nocturnal enemy. He was unsuccessful, but from that time until the present has vigorously pursued his campaign. That he has now so handsomely won his way to Parliament is due, we are convinced, not so :flitch to his personality and powers of appeal as to the conviction of the electors that during the period which has elapsed since last September and the present, the complaints of inefficient and inadequate isntiaircraft protection have lost little if anything in the matter of justcation. Mr Balfour's speech on the subject in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Lord .Montagu's attack on the Government in the House of Lords on Thursday, and ;he adtnissions for the Government In the same .kssembly that the failure to late the the Germans in the building of rivals to the Zeppelina has been "a m'stake," are not calculated to reassure the population of the country. It will req ie very manifest signs of anti-Zeppelin aotiv ity to reassure the inhabitants of some of the towns bombed on Sunday aight, who had the exceedingly mortify rig experience of being bombarded from th.. clouds for long periods —ithout a single shot being fired or a single air rct.ies being launched against the enemy. Under all the circumstances the fortitude rith which the nation is bearing the 2.‘eppern infliction is praiseworthy in the last degree, but there are signs that that fortitude will not be much longer inaMts- rod so fay as patience with the authorities ie concerned. We hope that tkere will soon be evident* that the erovemment is at last really alive to the urgent recesi ty for the organisation of anti-aircraft defence ou really adequate lines, The presence in the House of Commonj of Mr. Pemberton-Billing should serve rencnd Ministers that he embodies in his cam Person the sentiment of diesatisfaction, )(mg repressed but now very generally vocal, whicklargely gbteine in the coun• try in retard to this matter.