of Scotland. Airships have often proved of value in summoning
help to torpedoed vessels, and on occasions survivors in open
boats have been rescued through the agency of patrolling
airships. Examination duties are reckoned among the many
obligations of the airship. Suspicious-looking vessels were
always carefully scrutinized, and if unable to give a
satisfactory answer to signals made, were reported to vessels of
the auxiliary patrol for closer examination. Isolated fishing
vessels always were kept under close observation, for one of the
many ruses of the submarine was to adopt the disguise of a
harmless fishing boat with masts and sails.

The large transports, conveying American troops who passed
through England on their way to France, were always provided with
escorting airships whenever possible, and their officers have
extolled their merits in most laudatory terms.

Our rigid airships also contributed their share in convoy work,
although their appearance as active units was delayed owing to
slowness in construction.

A disturbing feature to the advocate of the large airship, has
been the destruction of raiding Zeppelins by heavier-than-air
machines, and the Jeremiahs have not lost this opportunity of
declaring that for war purposes the huge rigid is now useless and
will always be at the complete mercy of the fast scouting
aeroplane. There is never any obstacle in this world that cannot
be surmounted by some means or other. On the one hand there is
helium, a non-inflammable gas which would render airships almost
immune to such attacks. On the other hand, one opinion of