AN AERIAL MENACE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 7 August 1926, Page 11

AN AERIAL MENACE

HAS JAPAN DESIGNS ON U.S.A. APPREHENSIVE AMERICAN GENERAL

J' APAN has more tlian 2000 military ’planes that can take the air to-day. _ She has pursuit ’planes with a cruising. speed of more than 180 miles an hour, fighters which can easily make 150 miles an hour, and bombers good for 135 miles an hour, while carrying that terror of the air, the aerial torpedo containing 15001 b. of T.N.T. Her bombers have a fuel capacity for 900 miles; her pursuit ’planes can go 1000 miles without refueling. Japan, too, is buildingcommercial aeroplanes which overnight can be changed into engines of war. In a recent interview, General William Mitchell, who was formerly assistant chief of the United States, Air Service, declared that he had learned that the Japanese General Staff had made secret tactical plans for a bombingattack upon Los Angeles and San Francisco by a fleet of ’planes immediately after a sudden declaration of war against the United States. General Mitchell visualises a combined attack upon the United States ■by Japan and Russia. The instant war was declared, he says, one combined jierial fleet would take oft for the north, making for Alaska bv way of. the Kurile Islands. After reaching the peninsula of Kamchatka, one section would go across the Aleutian Islands, while the other section would go still further northward, and fly across Behring Straits. The fleet would consist of 100 pursuit ’planes, to beat off any United States ’planes, forty bombers, including those with gas bombs to stifle the populace of Koine, Stika, and •Juneau, the principal Alaskan towns, forty fighters, which would carry light cannon and machine guns on their wings to attack Ameri-

can infantry from the air, and 100 transport ’planes, each carrying sixteen armed infantrymen. According to plans which the general declares have already been made, it would take this aerial armada 36 hours to reach their objectives and attack them. Four stopping places on the Siberian coast have been listed where the squadrons could alight to refuel and take on additional supplies. While this first"aerial force would be seizing Alaska, a second 'would be taking off for certain islands near the Philippines. The Philippine Archipelago is crowded with islands. Many of them are United States possessions, but many belong to Japan. Japan is said to have listed all the other islands surrounding the Philippines as possible aeroplane bases. One island nearest to America is designed as a base for a group of pursuit ’planes, their mission being to beat off any ’plane arising from the United States seaplane carriers. Another island is indicated as the base for several squadrons of attack ’planes, and island after island are as secret bases for the bombers. If war were declared a complete aeroplane zone could be established by the invading force around America’s Philippine possessions, just as Germany established |her submarine zone around Great 1 Britain; only an air zone would be far more effective. No battleship could approach these islands without having a squadron of enemy ’planes fly forth to bomb her. ‘ A third aerial force would speed towards Hawaii while tlie zone around the Philippines was being established and Alaska being seized. Of course, these are purely ‘‘tactical plans,” but they arc ready to be put into instant use.