r escape, unless Nature proves
exceptionally kind.

The situation is best summed up in the unbiassed report of General
George P. Scriven, Chief Signal officer of the United States Army to the
U.S. Secretary of War. In this report, which deals exhaustively with the
history, construction and achievements of airships, such an invasion
is described as fantastic and impracticable. Writing on November 10th,
1914, the officer declares that "he is not prepared to recommend
the American Army to take up seriously the question of constructing
dirigibles, as they are not worth their cost as offensive machines,
while for reconnaissance or defence they are of far less value than
aeroplanes." In his words, "Dirigibles are seemingly useless in defence
against the aeroplane or gun-fire."

In order to be able to make an invasion in force upon Great Britain's
cities extremely favourable weather must prevail, and the treacherous
nature of the weather conditions of the North Sea are known fully well
both to British and Teuton navigators. Seeing that the majority of the
Zeppelin pilots are drawn from the Navy and mercantile marine, and
thus are conversant with the peculiarities and characteristics of
this stretch of salt water, it is only logical to suppose that their
knowledge will exert a powerful influence in any such decision, the
recommendations of the meteorological savants not withstanding.

When the Zeppelin pride of the German Navy "L-1" was hurled to
destruction by a typical North Sea squall, Captain Blew of the Victoria
Luise, a Zeppelin with many great achievements to her credit, whose
navigator was formerly in the Navy, and thus is familiar with the whole
issue, explained that this atmospheric liveliness of the North Sea
prevails for the most part in the latitude of Norway, but that it
frequently extends as far south as the gate of the Channel. He related
furthermore that the rain squalls are of tropical violence, while the
vertical thrusts of air are such that no dirigible as yet constructed
could ever hope to live in them. Under such conditions, he continued,
the gas is certain to cool intensely, and the hull must then become
waterlogged, not to mention the downward thrust of the rain. Under such
conditions buoyancy must be imperilled to such a degree as to demand the
jettisoning of every piece of ballast, fuel and other removable weight,
including even the steadying and vertical planes. When this has been
done, he pointed