THE AIR PERIL

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2694, 14 February 1916, Page 5

THE AIR PERIL

IS BRITAIN'S SECURITY MENACED? CONTINUED DEMAND FOR ACTION \ By Telegraph—Press. AesociatioiF-Copjrxiglit (Rec. February 13, 5.5 p.m.) London, February 11. There is a growing demand to ensure our security against air raids. Meetings of protest against our defencelessness and. lack of warnings have been held in the Midlands and elsewhere, and measures considered to ensure greater protection. The "Daily Mail," in a leader, contends that it is unfair to himself and the country to ask Lord French to supervise the air dofence&.of London. An important conference oil air defences has been held by the Admiralty. It is generally believed that the Government is considering the appointment of an Air Minister, and it is expected that a Ministeral announcement in reply to numerous notices of questions on the reassembling of Parliament will be made. It is also suggested that there should be an air director, whose functions should be limited to the provision of aircraft and the supervision of actual operations. The names mentioned for the new Ministership are Lord Sydenham, Lord Derby, Lord Curzon, and Lord Selborne. The "Daily Mail" publishes articles by experts on the subject. Some sug-, gest the construction of a' large fleet of aeroplanes; others recommend that Britain should build Zeppelins. Mr. Grey, editor of the "Aeroplane,"' urges retaliatory raids, even to Berlin. Ho says: "There have been considerable developments in our aeroplane engines ' since the beginning of the war. Our machines are able to climb to ten thousand feet, and that when they only stagger along at forty miles per hour. Wo have still much to learn from Germany's specialised aeroplane, but with our iatest models it is possible to reach Berlin from the sea, provided such raids are properly organised and carried out by specially designed aeroplanes." The Liverpool City Council, is considering means to insure its public buildings against aircraft raids, the total to. extend to three millions sterling. WAR 'TWIXT SKY AND SEA HUN PLANS FOR THE PRESENT YEAR. (Rec. February 13, 5.5 p.m.) Amsterdam, February '12. The Munich "Neueste Nachrichten" says: "This year's Zeppelin fighting will be directed above all against British maritime supremacy. The principal feature of the programme wilf be the combined playing of Zeppelins and submarines as trump cards against the most important barrier points of England."'