The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1913. THE ARMY AIRSHIP.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 31, 5 February 1913, Page 4

The Stratford Evening Post. WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED THE EGMONT SETTLER. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1913. THE ARMY AIRSHIP.

The order received by the Parsevai Company to build an English, army airship caused some consternation and comment in the Fatherland, and patriotic persons called out loudly against the sale to other Powers of any airvessels. By these sales, it was contended, Germany sacrificed the enormous military advantage secured to her by her practical monopoly of airship construction. One paper went the length of announcing that the Government had signified its disapproval of the transaction, and had forbidden the delivery of the vessel. The “Tagliche Rundschau,” which is generally well informed on military matters, denied this rumour, and assured its readers that the contract had been made with the full knowledge and consent of the German Government. It explains that the Parsevai airship has nothing like the same power as the Zeppelin, and can only be used in England itself, and not for sea ‘ voyages, and it suggests that this consideration may have influenced the decision of the Parsevai Company tc accept the English order. The same paper further stated that, without orders from abroad (Parsevai vessels having been sold to Austria, Italy, Russia and Japan) it would be impossible for the Parsevai Company to avoid bankruptcy. Foreign Governments, it also pointed out, pay much more than nan be extracted from the German Treasury. But, besides these purely business considerations, theie is the additional advantage of the experience which the company gains by the construction of a large number of vessels, experience by which the German army airships will themselves be benefited. And then, just as England has a reserve of strength in the warships which are always being constructed in its shipyards for foreign Powers, so Germany, in the event of mobilisation, will have the airships under orders for foreign Governments to fall back upon. A Berlin correspondent remarks that of course the “Tag--1 idie Rundschau,” which is the chief advocate at Berlin of an Aerial Navy Bill, does not neglect this opportunity to. enforce the moral of a large air fleet. If once an air fleet bill were introduced, fixing the construction of airships over a number of years, in the same way as the construction of battleships is fixed, the German airship companies would have sufficient employment, and the financial difficulties which are forcing them to accept orders from abroad would be completely solved. It is also stated

that a short time ago the Zeppelin Company itself was on the point of accepting orders from Austria and Italy. The Parseval Company, concludes the “Tagliohe Rundschau,” cannot be blamed for the present incident, the responsibility lies rather at the doors of the War Office and the Treasury, for these departments have refused consent to the plans for the, building up of an aerial ileet which have been laid before them by the German military authorities.