CONQUEST OF THE AIR.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 225, 29 December 1920, Page 6

CONQUEST OF THE AIR.

FUTURE POSSIBILITIES

THE HORRORS OF WAR

.../The most interesting features of the ,' final sitting of the Air Conference at the , Guildhall, London, were expert glimpses of what a, future, war will meun,, to civilians arid; Germany's plans "for an airship service to America. •" ' . '. Air-Marshal Sir H. M. Trenchurd, .dealing with war tactics, said that bombing bo effective must bo continuous, and'it was - ,from [the accumulative moral effect of attacks carried out day after day for a week or ,tefl, days tliat tho best results • might bo expected. \ \ ', - Sir W. JoyiisondJicks drew a lurid pic-; turo of future warfufc. Tho aeroplane would bo the long-raiigoartillory, and war in the! air'would bo won by the long-range fust-flying artillery scouting/\ machine,-lorig-rarige bombing machine,, which would be able to drop almost from an invisible hoavon vast hiiWßes of ex-: plosives. , . i . . ~. ■■•.'■ , Thoi first peoplo who woujd sujtor in, thi- • next war would bo the civilian's rather fhuiuthe uriilies. armies of'aeroplanes; wouldfdash .uver into, the eu«my\ country ; v and ~tlj© lirst" attack .would, be .on some df, the,great cities,, in-order to.destroy their t njbr'ali almost before, the war. began. Sir Trevor- DawaotV, .vice-dbairniau jof Vickers. .Ltd., described what; was ifbeiug done in the development of qommorcial,ap>,' ships.' It was oh the world's, ocean .routes that the airship would have its great opportunity,, particularly for,direct cenununr

cation 'between.Europe and America, South; Africa, India, 'Australia, and the Eatfti. - , I EEHeite would be, no dilliculty in obtaining the necessary., support for jtpmjng* ,a* weekly or.bi-wcekl.v passenger service,from Europe to,South,'Africa; or South Aniericiv once tho ruliabihty and saving; of .time had been practically demonstrated. ,A -rigid airship .of at.lwil four.niillion.cubic feet, .gas opacity would' bo, required* .which would,oqablo .suitable provision, being-made for faffiw, about'; 100' pafis,engerß. The- largest ajrsbip yet; built was not much over two mill.ion,,cubic feet, r - i •>:''..-.• • • «... ;,.'.' ' Germany, with her unparalleled cxppri; enco itl airship was in a pdsi-, tion to 1 go ahead. A recent report .from Berlin kstaf cdvthat*. .C'pmpany was contemplating biiUding .airshipliners in •thei'Untted.'Staibß, "so- as/to; etfode the iirohibltion of the Allies. The-scheme was to .builds-two .super-Zeppelins , for., use :in freight! and passenger services ".between Berin and San'-Fiinoisco, 'calling' at 'Para, Slow • Xorkf and = Chicago, #o*« .wljcdulod imo for the entire trip from Berlin to bun ?raneiaco tp be less than four days. It vas understood" that' the would beapablo of carrying load*.of.3o tons.