AIR SUPREMACY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 160, 3 July 1918, Page 5

AIR SUPREMACY

FIRST STEP TO FINAL VICTORY GENERAL MAURICE'S VIEWS'. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Rec. July 3, B.SO a.m.) LONDON, July'2. General Maurice (.Military corresiwndent of the Daily Chronicle) says: It appears tINVt tjhe Aifl" (Miin/iist'ryr ha.s' created an independent air force, primarily for attacking Germany. German communiques show that the enemy has been foi'ced to send back more grans and aeroplanes in response to the population's persistent demands for protection-. We are therefore forriing upon the .enemy, the same measures that he compelled us to adopt. We have thereby obtained a military advantage, apart from the actual damage to the Rhino towns. General Maurice admits that the bombing of German towns will producea gl'eat moral effect when the people .see that military success is but he says that raids, however numerous and effective., will not convert defeat on the battlefield into victory. The prime duty of the air forces in France is to co-operate with the troops. Therefore, until we are unquestionably supreme in other departments of aerial warfare, we cannot divert our strength in order to carry the air war into Germany.

'Our greatest air superiority was in 1916 during the Somme Battle, a.nd we have! never since re-established such mastery. Although we have heLd the superiority for a long time past, we have never had a great superiority, and' we always had to fight hard 1 for it. It is as certain as anything can be in the war, that the Allied superiority will develop steadily. Our' own output of aircraft has not reached the maximum and America has ha/rdly begun to make it-self felt. When the full output takes effect, we shall have such-a superiority that it wall be one of the first great steps towards final and complete victory.

AIR RAIDS IN GERMANY

-MANY FACTORIES BOMBED. (Australian and N.2. Cable Association and Reuter.J (Rec. July 3, 9.30 a.m;J LONDON, July 2. The Air Ministry reporter— "We, onthe night of the 29th, bombed chemical works at Mannheim. On the night of the 30th, we attacked the aerodrome at Houlay and railway ' works arid stationsat "Thioniville, JReriiHly, Landau, Zweibrucken, and Saarbrucken, and c also works at Mannheim. '

.We bombed with good effect on Monday railways, workshops, Karthaus station, Treves' railway triangle, and Metz Sablone.

RAID QH PArtiS

(Reuter's Telegx^amsJ

VANCOUVER, July 1, Aeroplanes raided Paris.

THE ENGLISH HARVEST. SHORTAGE OF LABOUR,

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.;

LOCSTDON, July 1;

In the House of- Mr' Prothero, rep lying to a question, admitted that there was a risk that a large proportion of the harvest would not be gathered owing to labour shortage. The Government -had' decided riot to enforce the notices calling up agriculturalists until after the harvest. The Board of Agriculture was organising _ a, supply of agricultural volunteers, including convalescent British and Dominion soldiers.