Divebombing Of Strike Rally

The Denver Morning Post
November 7, 1927

AIRPLANES HOLD
MOCK FIGHT AT
STRIKE MEETING


Guard Craft Swoop Over
Big Demonstration at
Walsenburg.

Pueblo, Colo., Nov. 6—A meeting of 1,200 strikers at the Ludlow monument Sunday could have been entirely wiped out in thirty seconds with machine gun fire and aerial bombs tonight from one plane, it was stated here tonight by members of the 120th Observation Squadron, who returned here after flying over the strike zone.

Lieuts. Dan Kerns and Ralph Hall, flying the Douglas Service plane over the zone for the first time Sunday, sighted the meeting at Ludlow. To satisfy themselves, they prepared for battle. Kerns at the stick and Hall at the guns, they swooped down on the gathering and could have wiped out the entire group in less than a minute, they said.

Scores became frightened and ran for a storm cellar. The fliers said that one bomb would have destroyed the entire cellar, being more effective underground than on the surface.

ROAR OF MOTOR
HINDERS SPEAKING.

The terrific roar of the ship’s motor prevented the speakers being heard.

The mimic warfare convinced the airmen that they can break up meetings on short notice if necessary. Sunday’s demonstration they considered a good air show for the strikers.

“We hope we are not called upon to reap destruction,” the officers said, “but unless the strikers use a little common sense we may be ordered into action.

“ We are not opposed to union labor but we are opposed to the wobblies. They are displaying the American flag prominently, but that means nothing unless there are American citizens behind the flag.

“ The only safe place for them if martial law is declared is to dig a tunnel under the Spanish peaks where we can’t get them.”

The aviators reported about 1,200 persons and 150 cars at the Ludlow meeting.

PATROL EXTENDED
BEYOND TRINIDAD.

The plane left the Pueblo airport at 6:10 a. m. on the first trip. Its roar awakened all of the mining towns of the district. After scouting over the mining towns the ship flew up and down Walsenburg’s main street at 7 a. m. The plane was less than fifty feet above the street and below the level of church steeples.

The patrol was extended to beyond Trinidad. Other National Guard planes also flew over the area during the day.

IWW PROSE

Divebombing Of Strike Rally