STRUGGLE FOR MASTERY IN THE AIR.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13930, 12 July 1917, Page 5

STRUGGLE FOR MASTERY IN THE AIR.

ENCOURAaiNa STATEMENT BY BRITISH. PRIME MINISTER. ' IMPORTANCE OF AIRCRAFT IN MILITARY OPERATIONS, ', ,■'• (Australian and New Z»aland Cable Association zz& Renter.) LONDON, July 10. (Official.) * At the secret session, Mr Lloyd George stated that twenty-two "Gotha" aeroplanes each carrying 8001b of explosives, came over Lojidon on Saturday and of these three were destroyed. The Germans organised protecting squadrons in order to assist the raiders" return. Six of these were destroyed and one was injured. Therefore the attack was not made with impunity. He pointed out that complete protection in the air was never securable. British machines daily crossed the German lines at the front, despite terrible? anti-aircraft fire and powerful air squadrons bombed stations and army headquarters, proving that no measures they could take can give complete immunity. The defenders must aim at making enemy visits as costly as possible. British naval aeroplanes during the last four or five months have dropped 70 tons of explosives on German aerodromes in Northern Belgium, dropping six ton.} '*• \ on the night preceding the London raid, whereas the Germans only dropped two tons in England. It was the Government's first consideration to see that 'the Army in France was sufficiently supplied with aeroplanes, without which advance was impossible. The twenty-eight civilian casualties were regrettable, but unless there, was a sufficiency of aeroplanes at the front the Army's loss might easily be 28,000. The Germans realised as much'as the Allies the importance of aeroplane work to secure the protection of soldiers' lives. Nothing would encourage the Germans more than to know that by their bombing of English towns the British were forced to withdraw fighting squadrons from the front ir. . France. There could be nothing more disastrous to the conduct of the military operations than to encourage the Germans to believe ■ that the raids excited a clamour in England resulting in the Government being unable to resist the demand for the withdrawal of ■ aeroplanes from the front. If they were unable to provide the aeroplanes for the front as well as for defence against raids, the Army must come first. It was vitally important that Germany should kno\V this. He saw the people in the district & few hours after the raid, and he had never seen people face disaster with greater cheerfulness and constancy-there were no signs of panic. He was convinced that if the country realised that it was necessary to establish air supremacy in order to win a victory at the front it would be prepared to take.risks. The Germans realised the importance of aii* supremacy and had made prodigious efforts during the last twelve months to attain it, but Britain had enormously in-

> , •' . . " . "\ ,' ' * creased hor capacity for manufacturing machines,- and in the. List half-year incrcascil llio number of employees in the aeroplane works 1iy_23,0()(). Britain had also improved the mcllnula or organisation ' and the type of machines. The Government's information showed ' thai Iho Gentian capacity for production was inadequate to compete with Brilnin's airmaft. llithcrto the British incrca.se in production was only graduaj, now it was going up by leaps and bounds. The April strike lost the British between 150 and 200 machines. 1 _ Mr Bohar Law, replying to' questions, said that in the opinions of experts the British type of machines was as good as the German.* He pointed out that the French 'front was nearer important German cities than the British front, and therefore it was natural for the French to play a larger part in offensive operations against enemy territory, which they had done with remarkable success and impunity (luring the last few days, while Britain was regarding the raid | in London as of no importance to the balance of military advantage.' [ The people who were demanding an instant reproduction of large | numbers of aeroplanes were apt to forget that the inherent limits j to the extent of the rate of such increase was the imperative deI -mands of other services. , Mr Norton Griffiths related his experiences at the front, con--1 firming the British aerial supremacy there. (Australian and New' Zealand Cable Association,) • Received July 11, at 6,15 p.m." . • ' I i ' . LONDON, July 10. Anti-German disturbances continue in the East End and other parts. Two bakers' shops in Holloway were sa&cd. The children bore banners inscribed: "We want reprisals." Several police were injured and tan arrests were made.