LAND AND WATER 
November 14, 1914 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
Sir, — I am a very interested reader of your paper, and 
jparticularly those articles dealing on the military, na\al, and 
aeronautical situation as developed in this great war iji which 
this country is embarked. 
We have read a great deal about the Zeppelins that are 
being built, and that are in existence, and i» the pages of j-our 
paper we have gathered that the number of these is limited, 
and that their construction is very slow, while as they are useless 
without their sheds, the time that is taken in constructing 
these must also be taken into account. 
I think that I am not mistaken in saying that the shortest 
time in which these sheds could be erected was seven months, 
and that a Zeppelin could not be turned, out in less than nine 
months. This on the authority of your expert. 
In this morning's paper I read that Zeppelins are being 
turned out " every three weeks, which represents a record time 
of 500 hours per airship." 
The discrepancy is so great that one wonders which state- 
ment is correct, for it would seem not impossible to approximately, 
at any rate, arrive at the probable time involved. .*., 
With regard to the sheds, I recently saw at the Pavilion 
Cinematograph, Marble Arch, sheds in course of erection, 
in which ready-made girders are erected and covered with 
sheatliing, apparently a very expeditious way of arriving at 
results. 
In Doctor Karl Graces' book entitled, " The Secrets of the 
Gei-man War Office," he has a great deal to say about Zeppelins, 
that the Germans have discovered a metal much lighter than 
aluminium for the making of the girders, and a gas very much 
lighter than hydrogen, so that their buoyancy and lifting capacity 
is enormously increased, while he speaks of tlie latest Zeppelins 
being able to carry a crew of twenty-five men, as well as over 
7 tons of explosives if needed. He speaks further of their sphere 
of action being up to, 1,400 kilometres, and that they have been 
known to stay out ninety-six hours. 
There arc statements made in the book that tend to discredit 
bim, however, for he speaks of Zeppelins being capable of rising 
to a height of 10,000 feet, while aeroplanes that are generally 
supposed to be our arm of defence against these aircraft cannot 
exceed 6,000 feet. 
As we have been told very frequently of heights of over 
10,000 feet being attained by aeroplanes, heights indeed up to 
25,000 feet at which the record is supposed to stand, and I have 
never seen a height of over 6,000 feet mentioned in connection 
with Zeppelins, I am led to wonder whether the other etatements 
quoted in this letter are equally inaccurate. 
That we ha^■e heard little about Zeppelins in actual warfare 
thus far leads one to hope that they have not been found as 
efficient as had been hoped by the enemy, but if your expert could 
answer the statements made in Doctor Graves' book, as also 
the length of time taken in the building of these craft, it would 
be of much interest to the public and might reassure them from 
a meance which is much dreaded by many. 
If you could find time to take up this subject in your valued 
paper, I feel sure that it would be of interest to many of your 
readers. Chaeles I. Thomson. 
GERMAN LOSSES. 
To the Editor of Land and Water. 
Sir,— It may interest your readers to learn that the losses 
estimated by Mr. Belloc are fully admitted by some of the Gennan 
War Office officials. My Dutch correspondent has recently 
been m Berhn, and has intimate acquaintance with the War 
Department there. He writes me that up to the last week in 
October the German losses were admittedly fully 2,000,000 ! 
He estimates the total number of Germans engaged in the war 
from the beginning at nearly 7,000,000. The Germans claim to 
be able to provide another 3,000,000 men ! 
Yours faithfully, 
. , Arthur Kitson. 
National Liberal Club, November 9 th 
Terms of Subscription to 
"THE COUNTY GENTLEMAN 
LAND AND WATER" 
(ESTABLISHED 18C2). 
AT HOME— Twelve Months - - - £1 8 
CANADA— Twelve Months - - . - £1 10 6 
ELSEWHERE ABROAD— Twelve Mouths - £1 U 
The alove rates include all Sjicclal Nuailcis and Postage. 
BACK COPIES of "LANT) AKD WATEE," contaJniiK^ tho 
series of Articles by HILAIEE BELLOC, "THE "WAEBY 
LAND"; and FEED. T. JANE, "THE WAE BY WATEK," 
tosetlicr with a valuable reference, "THE TOPOGEAPHICAL 
GUIDE," can be obtained throngh any Newsagent, or on 
application to the Offices of " LAND AND WATEE," Cestral 
House, Kinoswat, W.C. 
BUCKINGHAM PALACE. 
„ , , Oc^tober 15tli, 1914. 
J? oar many weeks wo liavo all been greatly couccnied for the 
welfare of the sailors and soldiers who are so gaUantly fightinf? our 
battles by sea and laud. Our first consideration has been to meet 
their more pressing needs, and I have delayed making known a wisK 
that has lung been in my heart for fear of cncroachmg on other funds, 
the claims of which liavo been more urgent. 
I want you aU now to help me to send a Christmas present from 
tlic whole nation to every sailor aHoat and every soldier at the front. 
On Christmas Eve, when, like the shepherds of old, they keep their 
watch douMess their thoughts will turn to home and to tlie loved 
ones left beumd, and perhaps, too, they will recall tlw days when, as 
children tlioniselves, they were wont to hang out their stockings, 
wondering what the morrow had in store. 
I am sure that we should all be th« happier to feel that we had 
heljjed to send our little token of love and sympathy on Christmas 
morning, something that would bo useful ajid of permanent value, and 
the making of which may be the means of providing employment in 
trades adversely affected by tho war. Could there bo anything mom 
likely to hearten them in their struggle than a present received 
straight from home on Christmas Day ? 
Please, will ycu help me? 
JL-VRY. 
To H.R.IL THE PRINCESS JL1RY, 
BUCKINGHAM PALACE, LONDON. 
I be^ to enclose £ «. d. as a donation to your Royal 
Highness s Fund. 
Name. 
Address. 
WAR PUBLICATIONS. 
The manual published by the Temple Press in sixpenny form on 
How to use a Rifle and Ptstol has already run through two editions, 
and a third edition has now been issued in revised and considerably 
enlarged form. There is a valuable addition of matter on such subjects 
as trajectory, aiming practice, and common errors of shooting, with 
the ways of correcting and avoiding them. Written in simple, nn- 
technical language, the manual forms one of tlie best guid.-s to practical 
rifla shooting on the market, being written throughout by a military 
man fully conversant with his subject. 
The first translation into English of Treitsclihe : His Life and 
1! orl:s has been published at 7s. 6d. by Messrs. Jarrold and Allen & 
Un^^^n. Various extracts from the doetrine preached by Treitschko 
have made tlieir appearance, bnt now for the first time "it is possible 
for such as are not conversant with the Geiman language to ascertain 
tho views of the historian-professor-war-advocate. It may be added 
that the .book is a revelation as to the German view point, as evident 
in one of its most learned and distinguished men, who endorses " blood 
and iron " as a cardinal necessity to tho welfare of his country. 
_ Jl'essrs. Hodder and Stoughton have added to their two-shilling 
series of war books The German Spy System from Within, by " ex- 
Intelligence Officer," who deals with the practical work of tlie spy 
system, and exhibits a commendable avoidance of melodramatic story 
tS'lhn". Th« book is circum.stantial, and is based throughout on 
pi'ovable evidence; the chapter on agents provocateurs and the German 
influence on Syndicalism ia especially valuable, and the book as a whole 
IS one well wortliy of perusal. 
The official German point of view as regards war is admirably, if 
rather too briefly, stated in Germany's War Maifla, which condenses the 
litterances of the Kai.ser, the Crown Prince, Bulow, Bernhardi, von der 
Cioltz, and oUjer.s. Tlie object of the book is to show that Germany, 
ca re;3ieseuted by its chief men, is utterly permeated with the doctrine 
cf the necessity of war to tho development of a nation, and the 
argument is well enforced out of German mouths. 
LOOKING BACKWARDS. 
Readers of the special articles appearing in this Journal 
on " The World's War by Land and Water " will doubtless 
wish to retain in correct rotation these remarkable series 
of articles by HILAIRE BELLOC and FRED T. JANE. 
We have, therefore, prepared special cloth binders to hold 
the first thirteen numbers, at a cost cf Is, 6d. each. 
Or \ve \vill supply the thirteen numbers complete, in the 
binder, for 6s. 6d. 
Ovvins to the big demand for back numbers already 
received we have had to reprint some of the earlier 
numbers. Same can now be supplied at 6d. per copy. 
Order now from your Newsagent, Bookstall, or direct 
from the Publishers, 
"LAND AND WATEE," 
CENTRAL HOUSE, KINGSWAY. LONDON. 
16* 
