Page
GRAND TATTOO
Sookumpoo
4th, 5th, 6th October
Commencing at 3.30 Nightly.
THRILLING MILITARY SCENES In Addition to Special Events Nightly Thurs., 4th Oct.
Chinese Display. Khattak Dance: Maypole Dance.
Motor Car Parade. Satur, 6th Oct. Highland Dancing,
Fri, 5th Oct.
Portuguese Display. Japanese Fireworks.
TICKETS-55, $4, $3, $2, $1 & 50 Cts. Booking arrangements will be announced later.
WURM'S
(6648
STOMACH DOCTOR
The Best Bitter for the Stomach.
Best Remedy for Poor Appetite, Deficient Digestion and Disorderly Stomach,
Obtainable st
THE WING ON CO., LTD.
COUGHS WHERE THEY START/
STOP CO
EVANS
"VANS" PASTILLES goi right to the root of the trouble, killing the germs that lurk in the innermost recesses of the nose, throat and chest.
Safeguard your health and that of your children always by having them ready to use at the first sign of a cold.
Made in England in the ¿praela 'of the Liverpool Throat Hapital and sold by Chemlice aversuðans.
EVANS'
ANTISEPTIC THEDAT
Pastilles
Asahi Beer Invigorating & refreshing.
Sole Agents-
ASAHI
MITSUI BUSSAN KAISHA, LTD,”
HONG KONG.
'Bayer Tablets of
Aspirin
Before You Taba
Tain at Ames, duele ben to maint achon vil be heller and stranger. The
Bow on five tarket have not the same bumalik
Oben, junknak, they ser portrete kammtal, n
de onderkatons að stanak kipaukku.
'Boys' Tabicits of Aspirin
are bancicas. You am rumgive the original
The Band Cam
BAYER
THE HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13th, 1928.
VILLAGE SHAKEN BY
GUNFIRE.
LESSONS OF AIR RAIDS.
This is an unpleasant. fast not new to the Higher Command of the Royal Air Force, but it is ex- tremely doubtful if the Londoner. and the country generally, up to
the civilian has become a helpless combatant. There is no need to accept as literally true the lurid' descriptions of the destruction of London by homls which have ap
CEILINGS FALLING DOWN. LONDON OPEN TO ATTACK this year, had realized how much
PROTESTS TO WAR OFFICE.
IsLS OF GRais,
The 500 inhabitants of this little straggling village, which lies at the far end of the Medway mud fats," have unofficially changed its name to the Isle of Grain and bear it." And thereby hangs a
tale.
Six years ago the War Office con- structed at Yantlet, muddy ereek just over a mile from the
village, a testing station for the Aring of big guns. Villagers de- elare that it cost round about s million pounds and that the justi- Kention for that huge expenditure was that the War Office can" fire their non-explosive shells in a des finite direction and it is the only place in the country where they enn recover them at will from the sands of the east coast 18, 20, 30, and even 40 miles away.
TASK OF DEFENCE.
OFFICIAL REVIEW OF TESTS. peared in the pages of sonie
1.
A brief summary account was issued on August 17th of the four days operations in the London Air Exercises. This shows that 250,000 miles were down without serious injury to a single airman, and that the total weight of "bombs which. could have been carried by all the attacking bombers would in war
have been 203 tone. The official communiqué is as follows:-,
(1) During the Air Exercises which have just come to an end approximately 250,000 miles were down by aircraft taking part. The only mishap invelving injury secur red to a pilot of a Fighter which turned over. He suffered minor in juries to his nose.
journals. A substantial proportion of the raiders who were "seen each evening calmly sailing over the heart of the metropolis, often un. in earlier ights over the Home molested, were already casualties Counties, but I gather unofficially that, so far as can be judged at present, approximately half of the raiders get through to their target.
Their objective theoretically wis definite mark, such as the Air Ministry itself, but in actual war London itself would be counted as A sufficient target. War has now ceased to be the sole concern of The the sailor and the soldier. advent of the air weapon bas made the civilian the real mark. The power to maintain an offensive rests to-day not with the infantry in the field or the gunner in the ship, but with the civil population. who support a nation's complex Enancial circulation, operate the in- tricate distributive system which feeds the "soklier and the sailor, and man the factories which supply him with munitions Immobilize that machinery by harrying the men, women, and children of a nation into a state of nerves, and (3) By day clouds and strong the will to war may easily dis- winds high up favoured the bombers appear, leaving possibly an unde- on the whole, particularly those apfeated army in the field and, un proaching the targets from the beaten navy cruising the high seas. south and west with the wind be
Air strategy must take into account the worst that science and chemistry can do in the hands of an seripulous enemy fighting with his back to the wall and determined to take any measures to win,
(2) The total weight of bomba which could have been carried by bombers was nearly 20 tons. This is "without making deductions for those whom the umpires judged to have been shot down before reach
Individual villagers protested to the War Office, but without result: The station was built and the firing started. Very soor tiles began to fall from the village roofs, walls began to crack,, and ceilings to falling the objectives. in. Protests, were again, sent to the War Office, but merely brought the reply:
The War Office cannot admit liability for damage by contus- sion in connection with artilleryhind them. practice carried out in the exigencies of the public service. And for five years the Isle of Grain has grinned and borne it.
M.P. And Protest.
This year, however, the firing has increased to such an extent that steps are being taken to organise stronger protest; in which Mr. I. J. Albery, M.P. for Gravesend, is taking a keen intereat. During the past few months the village has been shaken to its mad and gravel foundations, many people fear that their cottages may tumble down on top of them any day, and the older folk are complaining of "nerves."
The material damage already done is said to run into hundreds of pounds, and life in the village is becoming unbearable.
(4) The Day Bombers made in all 37 raids. These were attacked 30 times on the way in and 37 times on the way out. Only nine raids succeeded in evading the Defence both ways. One hundred and fifty- one Day Bombers were adjudged to have been brought down by Fight- ers and 20 by anti-aircraft, while 130 Fighters were lost,
(5) In the operations after dark the weather so favoured the de- fence on three of the four nights that very large percentage of bombers were intercepted.
(6) The interception of bombers by fighters has shown a decided improvement since last year, as did the standard of air pilotage and the use of clouds by bombers.
(7) The Auxiliary and Cadre After a heavy firing the villageSquadrons played an important part is strewn with broken tiles and creditably in the first exercises in pieces of glass from blown-out win-which they have co-operated, and dows, and in many of the houses invaluable work was done by the which I visited I saw gaping holes Observer Corps und Searchlights. (8) The Air. Officer Commander-in in ceilings and roofs, cracked and cracked walls, and broken
Chief. Air Defences, Great Britain," is very satisfied with the eficiency windows.
shown by all units. The exercises were not designed to test the efficiency of the London defences, but mainly to test the operational efficiency of individual units,
"
Granny
Davis, the village's oldest inhabitant, who will be 86 next month, told me that she own ed six cottages, and the bill for repairs had gone up enormously since the firing starting. She de- ponds for her existence upon the rents of the cottages..
Mrs. Wilson, who owns eight cot- tages, eaid that extensive damage had been done to her property, and she was expecting more ceilings to come down any day,
£40 Repairs Bill. Mr. W. J Savery, the village job-master and grocer, said that he had spent more than £40 on repair ing his premisca just recently, and parts of them already wanted do ing again. He is expecting his chimacy to fall any day.
The Rev. N. Pritchett, vicar of the Isle of Grain, told me that in June a large portion of the ceiling
(0) In conclusion thanks are due to those who kindly allowed search lights to be erected within their grounds and to those civilians who looked after the flares on the emer gency landing grounds.
Opcial Reserve.
A close study of the above shows 23 discretion in phraseology, Ro doubt for excellent reasons, which may not be at once apparent, and it is not clear how many raids actually reached their target. There were, for instance, 57 day raids which were attacked 39 times o their way in, and this on, the face of it implies that only 18 raids were But it is completely successful. kaown that individual raids were. of the day school fell in, happily attacked two, and three times at when the children were at play.least on their way to London, so The school had to be closed for that the total number of raids which seven weeks while a special celling to withstand the gunfire was being put up at a cost of £50, not a penny of which could be recovered He showed from the War Office. me cracks in the walls and but tresses of the old church, as well as the damage donc at the vicarage.
He said:
It is impossible to work in the village. The amenities are being destroyed and the health of many people, including my wife, is being impaired. The firing some times lasts all day at five-minute intervals, and when they com mence before breakfast one has to shave between the fashes. If you put your head out of the window you can feel the blast of wind passing through your hair.
GIFT OF SHARES BECOMES A LIABILITY.
UNPAID CALLS AND INTEREST.
got through without interception is increased by the number of dupli- cated or triplicated attacks.
Oivilians As Target.
un.
A menace which faces London under those conditions is the use of poison gas. An explosive bumb falls, bursts, and in a few seconds the worst is known; but the gna from a bomb may hardly be noticed on first impact, yet it will lurk around a street corner for hours and even days waiting to catch the unfortunate civilian. We must, therefore, be prepared to meet an air attack in which the main strategy will be to terrorize the civilian and thus speedily reduce his will to war. This may be brutal, but until war is abolished the aim will be to end the confict by the speediest means possible, if only to" avoid that slow attrition, which left every nation weak at the end of the last war.
Therefore London," and every other distributive and industrial centre within range, must accept that it will be a main target just as much as the "Royal Air Force in the field and the factories for the manufacture of aircraft equip ment, and with this in mind it is possible to draw certain valuable conclusions from the Air Exercises of 1929, particularly as they show that the Defence was much more developed than in 1927 in speed of operation and accuracy in placing its fighters. The opposing forces were practically evenly matched in units-13 bombing squadrons against 12 fghter squadrons-yet 50 per cent. of the raiders may be re- garded as having reached the centre of London. On the four days, had all the bombers reached their ob- jectives, they would have dropped 202 tons of bombs on London. On the 50 per cent. assumption 101 tons of high explosive, incendiary material, or poison gas bombs would have descended on London- more than sufficient to cause a large measure of destruction and demoralization.
Speed And Surprise,
3
`ROMANCE AND DANGER IN A STIRRING DRAMA OF RUSSIA IN THE THROES OF REVOLUTION
Cecil B. De Mille's
production
"The VOLGA
BOATMAN❞”
WITH
WILLIAM BOYD-ELINOR FAIR" VICTOR VARCONI-JULIA FAYE
THEODORE KOSLOFF
The story of the supreme love of a.. Princess for a peasant boatman fa storm-swept Russia - Romance, danger and thrills in one of the most absorbing films of the season.
Produced by the Director of
AT THE
"THE TEN COMMANDMENTS."
QUEEN'S
TO-DAY TO SUNDAY
At 2.30, 5.10, 7.15 & 9.20.
[A PICTURE WITH A TERRIFIC CLIMAX |
AT THE
WORLD
SPOILERS OFWEST
With
TIM MCCOY MARJORIE DAW
A forý romance of frontler perils with plenty of thrills and action.
TO-DAY TO SATURDAY
Orchestra 5.159.20.
Interpreter 2.30 & 7:15.
THE Allarious adventures of a college cutle" In an amusing story of
college life from a co-ed's point of view!
MARION
DAVIES
THE
COLLEGIATE LAUGH-RIOTA
AT THE
STAR
THE FAIR
QUEEN'S Banger!
FANEST SCROLLACK
COOPIA
Meix
CO-ED
TO-DAY TO SATURDAY
Continuous 2.30 to 11.15.
Similarly, the figure of 151 day
It is idle here to argue the parti- bombers adjudged to be brought cular types of aircraft needed, but down is impressive,, but to form it is important to realise that as accurate picture of the position the the basic quality of the flying total number of machine flights machine is speed and surprise, the made by the bombers must also be dice of war
are always loaded. stated, and this information is not against a static defence and, favour given. Taking the figures that are the use of aircraft as weapons of available, it appears that it cost offence. Here speed plays its part, the Defence 120 aircraft to bring and the recent exercises proved down 151 day bombers a difference once again that under cur geo- in favour of the Defence on graphical conditions fast bombers machine casualti a of 12 aeroplanes; can secure safety by evasion in but here again without knowing the short flights of under a hundred number of machine flights made by miles from the coast to target. It the Fighters the percentage rate of is open to argument, however, that wastage is concealed.
from our standpoint a type must Obviously, the Higher Command also be developed which can win cannot disclose information which through to its objective by strength may be vital, and it is no doubt of armament, for on long raids it for these reasons that the com-" muniqué is not informative on these cannot hope to evade attack all the time. Equally, it is essential to In the absence, of "Air points, Marshal Sir John Balmond, Air Possess a strong fighter force, but Officer Commanding Air Defences it must be recognized that, in broad MONDAY TO SATURDAY NEXT principle, it will act in mitigation Great Britain, the main respon of the possible damage to life and Adranes Booking for Dress Circle sibility for the Exorcises devolved
LONDON'S PERIL. LESSONS OF THE AIR BATTLE.
non-aggressive unit has proudly guaranteed in practice for many centuries.
op Air Commodore F. V. Holt, the property, and cannot in itself, within any reasonable cost, give that free- Chief Air Staff Officer to Air Vicedom from attack that the Navy as a A gift that became a liability Marshal-F. R. Scarlett, who was caused the appearance in the Lon-acting temporarily for Sir John don Bankruptcy Court in August Salmond. for public examination of Miss Florence May Clifford, described as of Cadogan Square, London, S.W. She said that in 1918 ber father gave her 17,000 shares of one pound each, of which two shillings was paid up, in the Consolidated "Assur- ance Company, Ltd. The company went into liquidation in. October, 1928, after her father's death; and The outstanding conclusion of the the liquidator obtained judgment Air Exercises which have just ended against her for £16,781 in respect of is that, however, efficient the De unpaid calls and interest, and filed fence, there can be no security for the petition against her. That was London and its 10,000,000 inhabit her only liability, and she had no anti-any-future European war in which the enemy-is-within-air The examination was concluded.
range of our shores.
assets.
[BY "THE TIMES" AERONAUTICAL CORRESPONDENT.)
CHANG
Open Dally From 11 AM.
THEATRE ROYAL
THURSDAY, 20th SEPT. At 9,15 p.m.
FAREWELL
VIOLIN RECITAL
Br
CECILIA
HANSEN
"THE MOST POPULAR ARTIST EVER TO TOUR THE ORIENT."
POPULAR PROGRAMME AT THE PIANO, BORIS ZAKHAROFF. PRICES:-84, $3 &'82 BOOKING AT MOUTRIE'S. DIRECTION:-A. STROK.
LET US DANCE!!
Tale of the Besson. EIS what Everyone will say
No Joyous Party is complete without Dancing, and to do that, A Real Love Wire Orobestra is nooded.
Our purc defensive measures are Groups, administered by a parsí- not complete yet, but from the close monious War Office (probably "as a observation possible during this last side line to their main interest in ohne ate mation can be positively the Expeditionary Force), badly assured that they have reached a need more funds, better equipment, high pitch of efficiency; that the more men, and more encourage-" whole scheme on which the defence ment; while much the same applies rests is basically sound and operates to the Anti-Aircraft Artillery units. at high speed, and that where it The Royal Air Force itself needs a is still short of maximum efficiency renewal of its fighter equipment, the reason is lack of cash and not toc,, for this week it has been fight The whole of the ing with equipment which in speed, of foresight.
an important quality, is only just Observer Corps system, for in- stance, requires expansion; the equal, and in some cases is inferior, Searchlight and Sound Locator to the beat of the bombers-which-write to "MIGNON." 213, WANGHAI (Continued at foot of next column.) it is supposed to intercept.
Bill Lucas' Dance-O-Pators Band of Jazzy Musicians will provide you with the Latest Dance Hanc. Open for En- gagements at Anytime. Write or Phone, Always there. FROWN CENTRAL 998, or
BOAD
16701