RUTHLESS METHODS

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 1, 1 July 1922, Page 12

RUTHLESS METHODS

GERMAN AIRCRAFT CRIPPLED

In a German aerodrome far away in the north-east, md huiidreds of milw from any military force of the Allies, an officer of the Royal Ah Force in charge of a party of German workmen was engaged on the task of carrying out the terms imposed by the Armistice. A German aeroplane was standing in the field, and two German officers prepared to enter it in order to make a flight. The lonely British officer forthwith gave a command to two of. his Workmen, who armed,! one with a saw, the other with a •crowbar, ran to the machine. A blow from the crowbar put the engine out of action, and a'few strokes of the saw rendered the fuselage unsafe. The German officers got otti of the machine; and the' flight, which would have been absolutely contrary to- the« regulations that had been imposed by the Allies, did nob take place. There was no resistance to the British officer's action, which by the Way is an illustration of moral ascendency and force. This. incident stands by no mearig alone; and when the full story of the work oi the Inter-Allied Aeronautical Commission is told it wiD contain much interesting' detail. A' few figures are appended relating to the work done..'

'. The order was to put flying material out of gear, and to this end wholesale destruction had "to be resorted to. The fuselages and wing tnemberf of aerbplanelj were' eawn through. . The cylinders, of engines were incapacitated by a. wellplaced blow here and there, or the remdvai aiid destruction of vital parts. :Ih two years 14.800 German aeroplanes arid 29,550 motors have' been rendered, use— less, whilst 500 aeroplane and airship shfeds aiid eleve'il airship's, with their operating pla-ht, together with vast quantities .df Spare parts, instruments, aiid^ wireless telegraphy arid photographic equipment, have been destroyed. _> In the -case of buildings'. complete demolition Was necessary, 'and, in some cases,' concrete foundations were blown up. Some of the airship sheds were ordered to be handed over to the Allies, and thesi were takeii. down and lbaded Up on trucks for despatch id the cotiritrieii to which they were assigned. With regard to aeroplaile sheds, an ambiguity in the wording of the Treaty led to difficulties.- ' The term "aeroplane shelter " was used, and the Germans objected thai a great rilati^ ejections might come wider that definition. There was one case tin which a covered shed Stood between two buildings used as aerad.ioine offices. It was one complete edifice with ah iron framework. The Germans objected that the shed was not ah aeroplane hangar, and did not come under the definition. As a niatter of fact; it was big enough to contain'a doiien aeroplanes. The Commission replied that it m'tisfc come down, arid hinted that the subsequent condition of the flanking buildings Would ve'rv much depend upon the.manner in which the workmen dealt with the main iroii girders. The hint Was taken, and satisfactory terms were come to, the Germans undertaking that the shed shduld not bo used fol aircraft. The Germans have been loud in their complaints oi the wholesale destruction1 effected by the Commission.; btit thir instance shows' a, reiistinable spirit has prevailed, in spite of several cases ih which there was occasion to deal with deliberate German evasion.

-The Cdmmissiot> began its work :arly ih-1920, under Air Commodore E. A. Slaatermalij who had at hie disposal stbodt 2(50 officerg,'British, French, Italian, Belgian, and Japanese-. It was abso.lutely ifflsttpp'orte'd by military force, but, nevetthelesß, has managed its task with remarkably little friction, under the circumstances. There have been bne or two '.' incidents/ but, on the whole, it can. be said that. German discipline has been praiseworthy. Its. term, ceased on sth May, and has been replaced by a perma-. nent Commission.