AIR DANGERS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 April 1929, Page 8

AIR DANGERS

IS THEWS A NEW POISON GAS?

LONDON’S DANGER

(By FT. W. WILSON, Author of “ The War Guilt” and “Battleships in Action.”)

Mr Rotliay Reynolds in Tiis three admirable articles has shown how rapidly civil aviation is expanding'in Germany and given an account of the development of poison gas attack from the air. It remains to consider how ifar these new factors affect us in Great Britain.

Aircraft possess in an exceptional degree the power of destruction. As yet no antidote to them has been dis covered. They are an offensive arm against which there is no sure defensive. Their swiftness of movement, ability to work over sea and land alike ever-incropsing range, and power Of obtaining shelter by climbing or using clouds, make them terrible weapons. Between civil aircraft and militarv aircraft there is no real difference. The Power with a great civil air fleet is in possession of an arm which is capable of the most extensive and deadly use. Disarmament and all the laudable schemes of Geneva do not apply to civil machines.

Yet if the necessary, very simple fittings are kept ready—as they almost certainly are, or can be, in Germany—any civil aeroplane can be converted on an order into a most formidable bombing machine. Thus at Geneva in 102 the Belgian representative pointed out. that:

“ In a great number of cases and for very many types of machines a few hours suffice to-day to lit out a

passenger Aeroplane to carry bombs.”

CAPTAIN GUEST’S WARNING

Only last year Captain F. E. Guest, a ‘former British Air Minister, warned Iho Mouse of Commons that “civil machines are convertible to a degree which was not possible five or six years •i <r o.” The whole problem of national defence and security in this country has been profoundly affected by this change and this vast growth of German civil aviation.

Down to 1920 we bad some vestige of protection in the clause contained in the Peace Treaty and enforced against Germany forbidding her to possess lighting aircraft. This was so applied —and rightly applied—as to veto the construction of powerful civil Hying machines. But in 192(5 the prohibition was withdrawn. Forthwith, as Mr Reynolds has told us, German aviation began to develop on a gigantic scale.

Tt has already left Car behind the '•ivil aviation of every other country except the United States, which also has a large and last-growing commercial air fleet. From various causes—partly geographical and partly financial —British civil aviation has not expanded and does not seem likely to expand. Of all the great Powers wo spend least upon it; and in -1927 our mileage flown was only 873,000 against a German total of (5.189,000.

Yet, without a large commercial air Heet a strong lighting air force cannot long exist. The nation whose men are most habitually in the air will beat the nation whoso men keep to the ground.

RIVER GUIDE TO LONDON

The man in the street has a hazy idea that with tho League oif Nations and the talk of disarmament, war is out of the question. There could not be a graver delusion. Mr Spaight in that remarkable work, “Pseudo-Secu-rity,” which is of the first military and political importance, written as it is by a man who is a thorough expert, lias enumerated six lawful conditions of war, under any of which wo might be attacked.”

If attack comes, it will be “ sudden, unheralded, overwhelming, a kind ol aerial earthquake,” smiting us probably when war is t|eclared or perhaps even before war is declared, since the advantage rdf an aggressor who stuns his foe before that foe can fire a shot, is would bo nothing to defend. London offers a superb target to ary assailant. It lies not far from the coast and the River Thames gives a good line of approach to it which can bo seen 'from above by hostile aircraft and cannot be camouflaged.

Home few years ago an officer then on the Air Staff, talking with me about the protection of London, told me that, after the first enemy air attack, there would be nothing to defend.

IS THERE A NEW GAS?

The certain use of poison gas bombs of extraordinary power by the enemy complicates that problem enormously. It is true that some o'f our experts have given reassuring opinions and that Professor Haldane, no mean authority, thinks the gassing of a large city is quite impracticable. Rut there are reports, which may lie false or may be true, of new poison gases of recent discovery which alter conditions completely. Dr ITanslian, in bis admirable German manual dealing with Chemical Warfare, declares that no ifresh discoveries have been made sinco the \\m in the department of poison gases, but this statement of his is doubted bv those who should know best. And, even if it is correct, in Lewisite, which was discovered by an American chemist and prepared for the Allies in the wai though never used by them—there, is a weapon ofifoarlul danger. 'Phis heavy, oily liquid gives ofl frightfully poisonous fumes, and if a lew drops df it touch the skin, it kills. It persists for days, or in some conditions of weather for weeks. What would happen to a London over which this “ dew of death ” had been sprinkled by tin* ton from the air? We live in an age when gas and not powder or explosive is the dominant ifactor.