BRITISH SECRET SESSION

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 11 July 1917, Page 5

BRITISH SECRET SESSION

OUR AERIAL POSITION CONSIDERED. OBJECTS OF GERMAN RAIDS TO DIVERT MACHINES FROM THE FRONT. LUCID STATEMENT BY LLOYD GEORGE. LONDON, July 12. Official: At the secret session, Mr. Lloyd George stated that twenty-two Gothas, each carrying eight hundred pounds of explosives, came over London on Saturday, whereof three were destroyed. The Germans organised protecting squadrons in order to assist the raiders to return. Six of theste were destroyed and one 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 fVr«. Powerful air squadrons bombed stations at headquarters, proving that no measures we -could take would give complete immunity. . V'e must aim at making the visits as costly as possible. Our naval aeroplanes during the last four or five months dropped seventy tons of explosives on German aerodromes, in Northern Belgium, and dropped six tons the night preceding the raid, whereas the Germans only dropped two tons on England_ The Government’s first considerations was to see the army in Prance was sufficiently supplied with aeroplanes, without which an advance was impossible. Twentyeight civilian fatalities was regrettable but unless there was a sufficiency of aeroplanes at the front the army’s losses might easily be twenty-eight thousand. The Germans realised as much as we the importance of aeroplane work to secure the protection of soldiers lives.

Lloyd George said nothing would encourage the Germans more than to know that by bombing English towns Ave were forced to Avithdraw fighting squadrons from France. Nothing would be more disastrous to the conduct of military operations than to encourage the Germans to bclie\ T e the raids excited hlamour in England, resulting in the Government being unable to resist the demand for the withdrawal of aeroplanes from France, if unable to provide aeroplanes for the front as well as defence against raids. The army must come first. It was vitally important that . Germany should know this. He suav people in the district' a fcAV hours after the raid, and he had never seen people face disaster with greater cheerfulness and constancy and there were no signs of panic. He was convinced that if the country realised it Avas necessary to establish air supremacy in order to win victory at the front it Avould be prepared to take risks. The Germans realised the importance of air supremacy, and made prodigious efforts, during the last twelve months. Wo had enormously increased our capacity for manufacturing machines during the last half year, and had increased the number of employees at aeroplane Avorks by twentythree thousand; avc also had improved our methods of organisation and type of machines. The" Government’s information shoAved the German capacity for production Avas inadequate to compete with ours. Hitherto our increase in production was only gradual, noAV it Avas going up by leaps and bounds. April’s strike lost us betAA’ccn 150 and 200 machines. EeceiAnd 11.40.

Mr. Bonar Law, replying to questions said the opinions of experts was that our type of machines was as good as the Germans, and pointed out the French front was nearer important German cities than ours; therefore, it was natural the French should play a larger part in offensive operations there against them, which was done with remarkable success, and impunity during the last few days. While we were regarding the raids of London as of not much importance, the balance of military advantage must bo considered. People demanding the instant production of a large number of aeroplanes arc apt to forget the inherent limits of the extent of such a rate. An increase was imperative on account of the demands of other services. Mr. Norton Griffith related his experience at the front confirming the British aerial supremacy there.