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GERMAN AVIATOR DESI IN ERE All By RAYMOND E. SWING. Berlin.?A hero has stepped out of H. G. Wells' "The War of the Air" in the person of Feldwebel Werner, one of the hundreds of German aero nauts, who has the distinction of be ing one of the first Germans to fly over Paris and to fight a remarkable battle in the air with two of the enemy's aeroplanes. He was a pas senger for a short distance in the orvQ/?!r,l mi* of fViQ HicnnRnl nf COT o^'CViai vol pui. nv kuv ? respondents on their way to Liege and told us a graphic story of his experi ences. Werner's first assignment was to find the English army near Mons. The army was about 100,000 strong and was retiring before a German force of double its strength. Where Were French Aviators? Here, at the start, one wonders how the French could have allowed their allies to be so misled about the strength of the opposing forces. Where were the French aviators? I know of a man who had been over the field and who told the war office in France that at least 200,000 Ger mans were in the flanking army ad vancing through Belgium, but he was told: "Impossible! There is only cavalry." The French were completely out witted by this flank movement. The flower of their army was at the Al sace frontier. Their mistake will cost them Paris. At Mons the English forces took up a strong position, filling houses at the edge of the city with troops and machine guns and covering the road of the advancing German troops. When the enemy approached they di rected a terrific fire upon them and could be dislodged only at heavy cost. They then retired to a position be hind great mountains of slag behind the city, where the Germans were unable to dislodge them with howitzer fire. Flyer Watches the Battle. Again, they could be driven back only by flanking movements from both sides. This time our flyer, who watched this battle, told us the Eng lish retired hastily along the road in the direction of Le Cateau. "The English have reached their new position successfully," said a ? London report in its account of this retreat. "And out of breath," added a correspondent on reading the dis patch. The fighting at Mons was furious and the Germans were enraged by the British method of fighting, which throughout at Mons was done under cover. Never had German soldiers fought with such frenzy as against this foe. Attacked by Two Airships. When the enemy retired Airman Werner was assigned to the duty of following and discovering their new position. He found the army near Le Cateau. where, at the edge of a wood, he saw them taking up a strong po sition In a semi-circle before the for est. While watching these operations from a height of 1,700 yards Werner /I/i n ? rr? ** ^ Ail K1 P ri C t ol ouuucui t oa w a. uuuoic-ucvnci xjudiui aeroplane coming down on him from the clouds. The Bristol is a faster but a less sure machine than the Taube which Werner was piloting. There was no safety in running away: the Bristol could overtake him. He could not alight, as the English were underneath. There was nothing to do but to face the worst and to fly gradually lower and lower In the di rection of the German army. As the Bristol came nearer Werner espied a second aeroplane, a little Blfriot, an other swift flier, also bearing down on him. Revolver Battle In Air. The Bristol drew closer and closer flying down upon Werner in large circles, gradually getting within range. With one hand on the wheel the German officer drew out his re volver and emptied his magazine at the approaching foe. But the Bristol continued, coming always nearer. "When they get over me they will drop a bomb," thought Werner, and felt most uncomfortable. His ob server reloaded Werner's revolver and both kept on firing. But the Bristol Kept always coming closer in its cir cles, firing constantly on the German monoplane. The Bleriot had come close enough to fire also and bullets punctured the wings of the German machine at intervals of seconds only. There was no sound reaching the Germans except that of their own mo tors. They only knew the English and French pilots were shooting from the vivid flashes from their revolvers. But no bombs fell: it was evident that the English and French were not carrying them. Escaped to the German Army. Firing continued as Werner de scended gradually, reducing his eleva tion from 1,700 yards to S50, always coming closer to the German army. Every moment he faced the risk of being wounded or of a bullet striking his steering apparatus. COMRADES SLAIN: MAJOR DIES A HEROIC DEATH Angouleme.?The family of Maj. C. Dupont of the artillery has received news of his heroic death in a recent action. With a regiment of 700 men he re ceived orders to take a position in a meadow near a town. There was a dense fog at the time, through which ominous rumblings were heard, but Major Pupont's instructions were ur gent. All his men stood at their posts FRENCH BOY HERO ( IN THICK OF FIGHT London.?The remarkable adven tures of a boy of twelve on a battle field beyond the Marne are told in a letter from a deputy to M. Millerand, the minister of war. When the troops >vor<' passing through the village of Neuilly-en-Thelle, Andre Guede said to his mother: "I'm going to follow the soldiers." Lieutenant Grivelet took the boy un der his cliarga. For the whole of the CRIBES BATTLE I OVER HOSTILE ARMY For hours, it seemed to him, the conflict continued until he saw the German army in the distance. He then sent his car rapidly downward and descended beside his army. The Bristol and the Bleriot retired hastily. The battle had covered seventy-five miles. On descending Werner found his plane riddled with bullets, but he patched up the punctures and later witnessed the battle of Le Cateau over the position that he had discovered. Here again the English, after plucky resistance, were driven back. The Germans attacked with two flanking movements and a storming advance against the middle of the English po sition, and through main strength and the extraordinary spirit of the attack, forced the enemy back. The army of 100,000 had in a few days been re duced to 30,000. Drops Bombs on Pari6. Later on Werner was instructed to fly over Paris. Here he dropped sev eral bombs, some with good effect, though others did not explode. He carried two kinds of bombs, one a round shell about the size of a base ball and weighing 1.1 pounds, the oth er shaped like a small artillery shell and weighing 4V2 pounds. These lat ter, when they exploded, were power ful enough to tear up paved streets and wreck houses. Werner also told of dropping notes Into Paris, call ing the French such hated names as "cochon." The flyers are the only men who really are seeing this war. They have the enemy's position under them and can study it to their heart's content. Only a lucky shot can dislodge them, and their chief danger is from the at tacking aviators. The German scouts usually fly at a height of 1,700 yards. | On dark days they fly at the edge of the clouds and slip in and out for ob servation from this excellent screen. Accurate Aim at 2,000 Yards. ( Extraordinary stories about Zeppel ins are to be heard In Germany, some of which are almost incredible. One , account is of the method used by Zep- , pelins in throwing bombs. A recent invention, I am told, permits a Zep- , pelin, when there are clouds, to fly high and unseen from the ground and | to let down a basket containir^ a man, ( who then, by telephone, signals the \ airship what position to take. In cloudless times the bombs are i dropped from an apparatus hung di rectly below the airship, the bombs being hung on two fingers. When the i position of the target Is determined, i the fingers open and the bomb fr'te. These bombs are said to be xve inches in diameter and two feet long. The damage they fcan do is terrific. Houses in the neighborhood of the ex plosion collapse as though made of cards, and they can tear up streets for a distance of scores of yards. Zeppelins to. Attack Fleet. I am told that practically all Zep pelins have retired from active assis tance in taking fortifications and are centered around the North sea, where they are to assist in an attack on the British fleet. The outcome of such a battle will be highly important, for it will determine whether a dirigible can measure up against a warship. If it can, the German fleet will not bfe badly outnumbered in the conflict about to take place, for the British fleet is in sufficiently supplied with balloon guns, as only a few of those are in existence. We hear, too, remarkable stories about the number of Zeppelins. At the outbreak of the war there were twen ty-two on record. Today the report of their number varies from fifty-six to ninety. Material for Zeppelins is said to have been stored at points throughout the empire, where it could be put together in a few days, and this scheme has added Zeppelins to the air fleet at the rate of two a week. This story is improbable, for the German army does not possess a suffi cient number of men trained in oper ating dirigibles. Differ on Bomb-Hurling Ethics. The German aeroplanes have done excellent service. There are several hundred machines in operation, and comparatively few have been shot down. I know of one young man, a son of one of Germany's most prominent men, who flew to Paris early in the war. He was fired on repeatedly, and each time descended gradually to a prearranged depot, whence, after the enemy be lieved him to have been killed, he con tinued his trip. a When asked if he had thrown bombs a on Paris, he answered simply: "No. I ? don't carry bombs." This would indi- \ cate that there may be a difference of c opinion in the army Itself as to the f ethics of bomb throwing. f The astounding advance of the Ger ( mans has been analyzed by a military j expert, who says that it is due to i four points; heavy artillery, aviators, ( field kitchens and pedestrian feats of j large troop groups. The first two c points are now generally recognized. waiting for the word of command. Suddenly the fog lifted and revealed t a company of German quick flrers r within 1.500 yards of the French posi tion. In a few seconds all except two . officers and thirty men had fallen. Major Dupont was among those un * scathed. The German captain asked A for his surrender. Major Dupont f sprang to a gun beside which his gun- l ners lay dead and trained it upon the j enemy, but before he could fire a bul- j l?-t stretched him across the gun. inor \ tally wounded. three days' battle the youngster re mained l?y the side of the officer. Lieutenant Grivelet was wounded, then came the boy's turn. Vnder fire the boy carried the officer's sword, re volver, maps and equipment, while for three, hours they sought an ambulance. When the lieutenant was being driven to a hospital train for Calvados, the boy ran for miles after the vehicle, and then succeeded in hiding himself in the train. . He thus accompanied his wovalcl j protector to the hospital GERMANY LOSING ALONG THE AISNE Allied Armies Are Pushing The German Right and Left Wings Backward Toward Belgium. BATTLE DRAWS TO A CLOSE Germany Is Now Facing Invasion By Russian Armies Through East Prussia The battle of the Aisne being fought between the allied armies of France and Great Britain against the Germans along the northern frontier of France seems to be drawing to a close. The latest dispatches say that the allied ? ? - ? orroivnof V> /-v loft cii nixes ctre auvauuug agamoi ?cu and right wings of the German armies, enveloping the two wings towards the center. This means that the German armies in France are in great peril. Should the allies' successes continue, the Germans will be forced to retreat into Belgium. For three weeks the fate of the bat tle of the Aisne has hung in the bal ance. Along the great battle line, I which extends over a hundred miles in length, thousands of men fought with the desperation of demons. Thou sands of lives were sacrificed by the opposing armies in their efforts to gain an advantage over their aggressors. At different points where the fighting was in progress success was won first by one side and then the other, but at no time was any permanent advantage gained by either of the great masses of troops. Soldiers Fight Day and Night Every art known to modern war fare was resorted to by the command ers of the German and allied armies. The suffering by the men in both ar mies was indescribable. During the three weeks the fighting continued day and night. After a day of hard fight ing night came with its terrors. The soldiers slept at short intervals with their guns at their sides ready to spring into action when the alarm was given. Then cold, chilling rains added to the suffering of the fighting men. Their clothes were soaked and their trenches filled with water. Germany Fighting Two Wars These have been trying days for the German empire. While their armies have been battling against the allies Dn the northern frontier of France re sisting the desperate onslaughts of their enemies another great menace loomed up in east Prussia, when the Russians began a victorious campaign igainsi me uermau army turps u? fending the eastern frontier of Prus sia. The complete failure of the Aus trian armies u check the Russian ar mies in Galicia also proved a bitter iisappointment to the Germans. When Lhe kaiser learned of the Russians ad vance in east Prussia he rushed every ivailable soldier from Belgium and Prance to defend his own country from Invasion by a dreaded foe. In Poland the Germans and Rus sians have been in continuous battle for the past week with a slight advan :age to the Russians. It has been :he endeavor of the German troops in Poland to push the Russians DacKwara md force them to withdraw Into Rus ilan Poland. In Galicla the Russians seem to have rid that country entirely )f Australian troops who have retreat ed south of the Carpathian mountains, vhere the Russians are pursuing them. :t is reported that the Russians have captured large quantities of guns, am nunition, army automobiles and pro visions from the Austrians. Austria Warned By Italy Italy is now said to be in readiness or war and in that event the Italians vill join the allies in their fight igainst Germany and Austria-Hungary. The Italian government is greatly an gered over the placing of floating nines in the Adriatic by the Austri ttis. These mines were intended to larass the British and French war ihlps in the Adriatic sea. One of these nines recently sunk an Italian fishing >oat and has parctically demoralized he shipping interests of the Italians n that sea. A protest has been regis ered by the Italian government at Vi inna. German Women Give Gold Rome.?The women of Germany, iccording to reports received here, ire busily at work preparing woolen garments for the soldiers in the battle ine. The reports also state that a :ommittee of women has been formed or the purpose of inducing the worn sn of Germany to give up their gold >rnaments with the idea of transform-1 ng them into money with which to my arms. Each woman receives in :xchange for her gold ornaments an ron ring inscribed with the words "I ;ave gold for this." British Buy The "America" New York.?Under cover of darkness he America, said to be the world's nost powerful aeroplane, was loaded >n the steamship Manretania and now s being taken across the Atlantic to )e used by the British government for var service. The America was built or a trans-Atlantic flight and would lave been piloted by Lieut. John C. 'orte ,a British naval lieutenant. The Vmerica and two other aeroplanes vere brought here on a special train. Belgian Towns Are Looted London. ? Correspondents of The rimes in Frances give contrasting in stances of tho manner 111 which Gcr nans deal with the towns they occu >v. During the German occupation )f Peronne, owing to the failure to irovid'j the requisitions demanded, the commanding officer, :i Times corre spondent says, gave the troops per nission to loot the town. For two lours the liennans neeaeu no sei-omi | nvitation. it is said. and I'urnituih*. j mcient and modern silver and bronzes, jictures and personal property were oaded 011 trains and taken away. FVERYBODV Italy Protests To Austria Rome.?Details of the destruction of a fishing boat off Rimini by a floating mine show that the fishermen mistook the mine for a wine cask. Throwing out a line they drew the supposed cask toward them, and when it touch ed their craft an ex. jsion occurred. The boat was blown to pieces and the nine men on board were killed. Naval experts express the opinion that hundreds of mines from the Aus trian coast are floating toward Italy and as a consequence all steamship lines operating to Dalmatia, Montene gro, Albania and Greece, from Italian ports, have suspended sailings. Ships which have been operating between Italy and Constantinople and other Black sea ports have limited their trips. In consequence of the appearance on the Adriatic coast of Italy of float ing mines, believed to have come from the coasts of Istria and Dalmatia, the Italian government has telegraphed ur gent instructions to the ambassador at Vienna charging him to draw the serious attention of Austria to the fact and to the loss of life which already has ensued from it, and to ask that adequate measures be taken to pre vent the recurrence of incidents of such gravity. Light-Hearted In Face Of Death London.?A Reuter dispatch from Paris says: "Thirty gunners of a British field battery have fallen, killed or wound ed. Knowing they were going to al most certain death they called out, 'Goodbye, fellows,' to their comrades in the reserve line. Two minutes later every man was out of action. "Eventually the persistence ana ac curacy of the British fire proved ef fective and the British infantry took the opposition position at the point of the bayonet. "Similar incidents occurred along the whole western wing, enabling the allies to hold their own against re peated furious onslaughts of the Ger mans." Anti-British Feeling Grows "Venice.?News which has reached here says that the anti-British feeling in Austria is becoming more pronounc ed than ever before. The few remain ing British residents in Trieste are finding their positions intolerable. An English chaplain in recent days has been arrested three times. An English lady 78 years old, in the same city, has been compelled to re port herself in person to the police station every other day. Italy Prepared For War London.?The report that the 1885, 1886 and 18S8 classes of Italian re serves will be called to the colors ear ly in October has been confirmed by several Italian newspapers, according to the correspondent of the London Daily Mail at Venice. Eleven first cat egory classes will then be under the flag and will total 1,390,000 men. Invaders Have Trying Times London.?A picture of the sufferings of the German troops, cramped in un derground trenches and galleries along the Aisne river, is given by the Paris correspondent of the Daily Mall. He says that the autumnal weather with its damp nights and bitterly cold dawns, is extremely trying. If the men step% from their trendies to the level ground they do so at the risk of their lives. At night every German soldier must be at his post In the narrow ditch, sleeping as best he may, with his rifle at his side. F*chanae of Prisoner Begun London.?The British and German government have begun exchanging lists of prisoners of war through the the American Ambassador Page, pre paratory to arranging an actual ex change. Germany's Army Of Unemployed Geneva.?A report received here from Munich estimates that 2.000,000 men and women are idle in Germany and that the number of unemployed is increasing daily. Lack of raw material, it is said, is the cause. Austrians Desert Huns London.?"From the latest events in Galieia and along the Carpathians the conclusion drawn is thai the Austrian army has abandoned Hungary to its j fate and has leu the route to Ituda pest to be defciiv.-d by the llungari-| an national troops," savs tin* l'etrograd correspondent of the Daily Teiegraph. U. C. Consul Lives In Cellar Paris.?William lianlel. the Ameri can consul at Itheiins, his wife, his daughter and his son are the only Amu: leans left in the French city.; "S FRIEND Amsterdam.?The Germans have commenced their attack on the first line of defense of Antwerp, accord ing to dispatches received by the Am sterdam papers. Moll, an important railway junction near the Dutch bor der, was occupied by the Germans, who again occupy Malines, began a bombardment of Lierre, directly in front of Antwerp. They also contin ued their bombardment of Forts Waehel and St. Catharine. It is be lieved heavy Austrian artillery is be ing used. Lierre, according to a message to the Handelsblad, has been under shell fire some time. The people at first hid in the cellars, but subsequently fled to Antwerp, being joined by fugitives from the surrounding villages. It is reported that one shell fell on a hos pital, killing nine persons. German Naval Reserves Ready More than twenty-five thousand Ger man naval reserves have been brought from Kiel and Hamburg to Brussels and are held in readiness to serve on the improvised German fleet should Antwerp and Ostend be taken. As a direct result of this move the British authorities along the Scheldt have increased their watchfulness, for during a siege of Antwerp England might like to send reinforcements through the Dutch Schledt, which would be a breach of neutrality, while on the other hand a German victory wouia onng aaager 01 an auempi. 011 the part of Germany to use the mount of the Scheldt as a base from which to attack the British naval forces in the North sea. Communication with Antwerp has been almost suspended. World's Strongest Forts The fortifications of Antwerp are reckoned among the strongest in the world. In 1860, twenty-eight years after the taking of the city by English and French troops, Brialmont, the noted Belgian builder, supervised the refortification of the city and since 1877 it has had a line of forts well out from the inner defenses. In 1907 the government decided to do away with the inner line of walls and replace them with an inner line of forts on the right bank of the Scheldt. The greatest importance is attached to the outer works. Thev consist in part of new fortifications, in part of old forts rebuilt. The work was be gun in 1913. It is probable that this ideal was realized and that the forti fication system is now practically com plete. The outer chain of forts lies from ten to eleven miles outside the city and has a front of about eighty miles. Mayor Of Brussels Arrested London.?Burgomaster Max of Brus sels, who was arrested on the order of the German military governor on the charge that he had ordered the banks to refuse to pay an installment of the indemnity which was due, has been released, according to an Ostend dispatch to the Exchange Telegraph German People Are Isolated Berlin.?The cutting of German sub marine cables, the censorship and the exclusion of foreign newspapers from the empire have resulted in shutting out from Germany virtually all news of the outsfde world. For the past three days the Berlin newspapers have been carrying full descriptions of the architectural details of the Rheims ca thedral. while in the last sixteen days only three places have been specifical ly mentioned in the government war bulletin. These are Noyon, Rheirns and Chauteau Brimond. German's War Fund Enormous Berlin.?Response of the German public to the government's efforts to raise a war fund of five billion marks ($1,250,000,000), lias, it is asserted here, removed all anxiety the nation may have had regarding its ability to meet financial obligations due to the war. Originally the reichstag allowed a war credit of five billion marks in ad dition to tiie war treasure, wui of this amount 4,500,000.000 marks has been subscribed by the public without \ straining seriously the financial re- , sources of the empire. , New Ruler For Albanij London.?A dispatch to the Central N'ews from Rome says that a message I receivedPthere from Durazzo, Albania, announces that the Albanian senate has elected I'rince I'urhan Kdriin, son j of the former sultan. Abdul llamid. j i Prince of Albania, in succession to j Prince William of Wied. who left his | kingdom some days ago and su' s>* j quentlv renounced his throne, n-tirins: 1 to Switzerland. The correspondent adds that Kssad Pasha has arrived ;r Dibra and declares his intention f ' , Dror^edinL' to Durazzo. LIE OUARTER MILE I FROM GERMAN LINE ENTRENCHED IN COMPARATIVE f SAFETY, FORCE8 AWAIT AT. TACKS OF ALLIE8. POINT HAS BEEN GAINED ( British and French Feel That Victory ' Is Certain Since March on Paris Has Been Stayed. On the battle front, via Paris.?A thrill was in the air all along the ex- ' tended allied lines today. The French ? and British troops who for more than J a fortnight have been in closest con- 1 tact with the Germans, felt they had J accomplished their hard task of pre- ' venting the Germans from breaking 1 through the human barrier erected be- t tween them and Paris, their main ob- ? jective, and that this meant eventual ' victory for the allies. The lines of trenches made the bat- ] tie front appear like deeply scarred fields. The allies, who quick learned the lesson of burrowing, face the Ger- * mans within quarter of mile at some ^ places.' Their field entrenchments of- ' fer admirable shelter from the Ger- ! man artillery which consequently re- - duces their casualties and permits the 1 allies to await in comparative safety ' the Germans attacks which must be ' made across the open and often at ; terrible cost. The fury of the German onslaught was unabated today, especially on the I western wing, but their every effort was met with vigor by the allies, who | seemed to vie with each other in using all their strength and courage against the attackers. The scene of the most violent at tacks changes day by day. 'The Ger mans finding it impossible to pene- ( trate the allied lines in tbe vicinity of Rheims and Soissons, quickly trans- . ported many of their divisions further . northwest and hurled them against ' Roye. The allies' great turning movement continued today and their western wing extended toward Arras. Reports from the other end of the line on the allies to be slow but sure. Hun dreds of German prisoners fell into the hands of the allies at every point and it was remarked that the majority were Bavarians who seem to have been prominent in the front of the German attack. Cn?Ao oro an niiwormia alntia tVio U1 \J O W UUU1V?1 WC UiWUft WIVJ frr?A that orders have been issued staung that any German in civilian dress encountered will be considered a spy and those furnishing him with clothes will be regarded as accom plices. ALLIES' EFFFORTS REPULSED. Attempts of French to Break Through German Lines Have Been Evaded. Berlin, by wireless to Sayville, L. I. ' ?According to announcement made here the great battle in France is still undecided. The Germans are describ ed as hammering the French positions at numerous points by their heavy ar tillery. The attempts of the allies to break through the German lines are said to have been repulsed. The heaviest losses have been in the Argonne re gion. The Germans are asserted to be making steady progress. In the fighting before Antwerp the German artillery is reported as hav? ing silenced two of the Belgian forts. German troops are said to have cap tured 30 aeroplanes sent from France to Belgium. In the eastern arena of the war the Russian offensive movement from the Niemen river against the Germans in the province of Suvalki is declared to have failed. It is officially report ed that the Russian fortress at Osso wetz, in Russian Poland, was bom barded by the Germans until Septem- 1 ber 25. 1 The fighting in France, the siege of Antwerp and the offensive opera- 1 tions under General von Hindenberg, all going on at the same time, are 1 taken in Berlin to indicate that the 1 German army is not lacking in men. ' Germans Lose in Poland. London.?A dispatch to The Central ( News from Rome says: "The Rus sian embassy here has issued a com- ( munication announcing that the Ger- ' mans have suffered a terrible defeat * in the provinces of Lodz and Suwalki, * Russian Poland. The Germans were attacked with extreme violence and compelled to flee from Suvalki, Ostro will and other towns, leaving behind preat quantities of transports and guns. Their troops threw away rifles and baggage. Numerous cannon were abandoned. Dresden Reported Sunk. New York.?A rumor that the Ger man gruiser Dresden had been sunk by the British cruisers Glasgow and Good Hope was brought here by pas sengers on the steamer Japanese Prince which arrived from South American ports. This rumor, the pas sengers said, was current in Pernam btico on September 17. Fifteen Ger man vessels, it was sai?', are in Per nambuco harbor, fearing to venture Dut because of the reported presence af British cruisers outside the harbor. Rabbit Hunter Grabbed Rattler. San Marccs. Tex.?Herman Allen, of San Marcos, went rabbit hunting recently, ran a cottontail into a rock fence, reached after the rabbit and a rattler bit him on the hand. Antidotes and the prompt arrival of a doctor saved his life. Four Twins Each Hour. Iierl in-?h> very hour in (lennanj two pairs of twins are born. cliil .Iron die, three fatal accidents and <inc suicide occur and there is a net increase of 100 in population, accord ing to vital statistics. 10TT0N CROP WILL BE SECOND IN SIZE FORECAST FROM GOVERNMENT FIGURES OF SEPT. 25 IS 15, 300,000 BALES. '? ' i JIN NEARLY 3,000,000 BALES v rrom September 1 to 25, Bringing Total For Season up to 3,381,863. Next to the Record. Washington.?A forecast of 15,300, 100 flve-hundred-pound bales of cotton is the 1914 crop was made by the Department of Agriculture's crop re porting board in the season's final re porting, which showed a condition on September 23 of 73.5 per cent of nor nal. That quantity of cotton makes ;his year's crop second in point of size ever grown in the United States. The record is 15,693,000 bales grown n 1911. Last year 14,156,000 bales were grown and in 1912 there were L3,702,000 bales. The September 25 condition indi cates a yield of about 200 pounds of int per acre, which applied to the ss-timated area planted, 36,960,000 icres, would produce 15,463,000 bales. A.n average of one per cent of the icreage is abandoned each year. Al lowing for that the condition of the irop indicates a total production of 15,300,000 bales. Cotton ginning was active from September 1 to 25, a total of 2,901,556 bales having been turned out. That brought the aggregate ginnings for the year to 3,381,863 bales, according to the Census Bureau's report, an nounced. The period's ginnings were second only to those of the record crop year of 1911, being less than 4,000 bales lower. In Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia and Louisiana, the ginnings to September 25 exceeded those to that date in any of the past seven years. Sea Island cotton ginnings exceed ed those of any year in the past seven, while the number of round bales gin ned showed a great decrease. The second cotton ginning report of the season, compiled from reports of Census Bureau correspondents and agents throughout the cotton belt and issued at 10 a. m., announced that 3,381,863 bales of cotton, counting round as half bale?, of the growth of 1914 has been ginned prior to Sep tember 25. This compares with 3,246, 655 bales, or 23.2 per cent of the en tire crop, ginned prior to September 25 last year. 3,007,271 bales or 22.5 per cent in 1912 and 3,679,594 bales or 23.6 per cent in 1911. REDUCE GASOLINE TAX 1 CENT. Automobile to Be Taxed 50 Cents Per Horsepower at Time of Sale. Washington.?Reduction of the pro posed tax on gasoline in the war rev enue bill from two cents to one cent a gallon and imposition of a tax of 50 cents per horsepower on automo bile sales were agreed to by Demo crats of the Senate Finance Commit tee. The committee will have before It a subcommittee recommendation that the proposed tax of $2 a thousand on bank capital and surplus be eliminat ed and that there be substituted a stamp tax on checks, drafts, certi ficates of deposit and other negotia ble paper. The tax on checks, drafts, etc., would be two cents and on certi ficates of deposit, etc., two cents for each $100. From this it is estimated that the revenue would be about $10, 000,000 a year. It was also agreed to retain the proposed increase tax of 50 cents a barrel on beer in the House bill with the understanding, however, that a further increase of 25 cents might be made should the committee find it necessary to raise more rev enue after it has completed consider- / ation of all sections of the bill. The proposed tax of 20 cents a gallon on sweet domestic wines and 12 cents on dry wines, the committee igreed to revise, retaining the House rate on sweet wines, but reduceing :he dry wine tax to 8 cents. Will Wear Cotton. New York?A movement to aid Southern planters by popularizing lotton evening gowns was started fiere recently when Miss Florence Juernsey, president of the New York ZJity Federation of Women's Clubs, ssued an appeal to 100,000 members if the federation to purchase such a ;own and wear it at peace demonstra ion to be held during the week of )ctober. Miss Guernsey announced he would offer resolution at the New rork State Federation of Women's 'lubs convention. Peace For Mexico. Washington.?An outline of what he imemdiate outcome of the conven ion at Mexico City and Agnes Calien* es probably will be, was received by Jexican Constitutionalist agents. Ac ording to the dispatches, delegate f General Carr&nza's faction, now in onvention at Mexico City, probably fill adjourn soon to meet in joint ession October 5 with the Agnes 'alientes peace conference attended y representatives of General Villa nd General Zapata, as well as the !arranza faction. Holds Leo Frank Innocent. Atlanta, Ga.?Leo M. Frank, now nder sentence of death here for the aurder of 14-vear-old Mary Phagan ras held to be innocent in a state lent made here by William Smith, Drmerly attorney for James Conley, ne?ro factory sweeper who is now ervinp a sentence of one year's im risonment as accessory after the illinK. Frank, who was sunerinten ent of the National Pencil Company ere, now has an extraordinary motion afr a new trial pending before the Late Supreme Court.