IN THE AIR.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 5 October 1917, Page 5

IN THE AIR.

BRITISH AIR OFFENSIVE. BRITAIN'S DECISION APPLAUDED. TAKING OFF THE GLOVES AT LAST. OPERATIONS ON A LARGE SCALE! Received 8.25. LONDON, October 4. Newspapers applaud the Government’s decision to raid German towns and ask how soon will it begin. Italian and French newspapers are delighted at the British decision, especially as America has always favoured hitting Germany back. It is understood Britain will not be' content with small attacks, such as the French carry out after undefended towns are bombed, but contemplates a vigorous system of air raids aiming at destroying German morale and npsdtting communications. This drastic system alone will satisfy public opinion in England. GERMANY GETTING READY. EXTENSIVE PRECAUTIONS. Received 8.25. AMSTERDAM,, October 4. Wilhelmshaven and Essen are preparing to meet British air raids. All ports and many other important towns are plunged in darkness at 8 o’clock in the evening, when the theatres are closed. The air defences are being doubled and trebled in many important centres. STREET ACCIDENTS MORE COSTLY. LONDON, October 3. The Press Bureau, in order to enable the public to view the raids in just proportion, announces that 487 were killed and 14,104 injured by traffic accidents in London during the nine months of 1917, compared with 191 killed and 749 wounded by aeroplane raids. RETALIATION WANTED. LONDON, October 3. Most newspapers emphatically demand aerial retaliation on German towns. They stress Mr Lloyd George’s remark: ,( We will bomb Germany with compound interest.” Public opinion, manifested in various ways j displays anger at the delay in striking back. A meeting of Lord Mayors was convened to press on the Government the public demand for retaliation.

PLANNING REPRISALS. ON A LARGE SCALE. Received 10.55. LONDON, October 4. The Central News states that Lloyd George and General Smuts are considering schemes for reprisals. A .high authority explains the difficulty in the past has been the insufficiency of aeroplanes to carry out the raids on an extensive scale, it being obviously useless to send one or two machines to drop a few bombs. When we send aeroplanes they will go in very large numbers and attain far greater results in a single raid than the Germans have attained in several raids. Thus., far all aeroplanes have been needed in bombing hangars, hu* ments and essentia!. work on fighting front. We have definite military objectives, which must be attained before the winter sets in. The British output of powerful machines has also been greatly accelerated. TJ is a mistake to believe the German aeroplanes are more powerful thrours.