Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

( In MJLIES REFUSE TO DISARM THEIR MERCHANT SHIPS NO ACTION BY THE l). S. Although Believing the German Posi tion is Justified This Government Recognizes the Right of the Allies to Refuse to Disarm—No Clash on Subject is Expected. The United States, it was said on high authority at the state depart ment, concedes that the Entente allies are within their rights under prevailing international law m atm- ing merchant ships for defensive pur poses, no matter what conditions eaist on the seas. Consequently it is admitted that should the Allies decline to adopt the American suggestion to disarm mer chantmen, founded primarily upon a desire to save the lives of innocent aon-combatants, this government can not announce its approval of the In tention of the Teutonic powers to torpedo without warning after March T all armed vessels, although various high officials are convinced that the position of Germany and Austria is justified. » State department officials now are engaged in trying to determine just what will happen when the com manders of German and Austrian submarines begin to put their new in structions into effect. It is said, too. ebat the United States in the near future may make some inquiries as to horw the central powers intend to determine whether merchantmen en countered by their submarines are armed. In response to inquiries regarding this. It was said by high Teutonic authority that the German and Aus trian goternmenta would under no consideration * disregard the assur ances given the I nlted States In re gard to the conduct of submarine warfare. Attention was called par tlcularly to the fact that the Ger man government had assured the United States that liners would not be attacked without warning. These assurances. It was said, had not been and would not be repudiat ed, and for that reason liners in ser vice between the United States and western Europe would not be attack ed without warning even If they had defensive armament aboard Teu tonic officials were not Inclined to believe that auch an Isaue would arise aa Great Ilrltaln had agreed that tte ships entering American waters shall not be armed. la both diplomatic ami official circles doubt even was expressed that the new policy would lu the slightest way affect conditions in the Atlantic, although It waa ad mitted that should the llaliaa gov ernment persist in arming Its mer chantmen difficulty might arise in the Mediterranean. Stale department officials recog nise that the action of the Cermap and Austrian government is a de velopment of the recent American suggestions. The department, how ever. does not feel obligated to take any action, at least until It has re ceived replies to its own memoran dum to the Entente allies regarding the disarming of merchantmen. Consideration Is being given to the advisability of amending the iiydru^- tlons to port authorities in regard to the rights of merchantmen to arm for defensive purposes, and the liml- i a* t . 4 l Ki a 4 ft t. f 1 ft 4 ft eft e 44 . 44 11 ft 4* V 4J . - The state department has let it. be known that It had no intention of changing the law on the subject of arming merchant ships on its own ’account and that such a move could be made only with the consent of all powers affected. But the United tUates in consideration of the chang- 1 vd conditions of naval warfare, can amend its instructions to the port authorities. It might, it was sug gested. revise, its instructions so as to permit merchant ships to clear with guns of a calibre useful solely for defensive purposes and yet not large enough to be effective against aubniarines at a distance from which warning safely could be given. The entire matter, as the state de partment now views it, turns about the question of what constitutes de fensive armament. It is admitted that the line between where defen sive power ceases and offensive power begins is difficult to draw, and authorities on international law in the department say the-question will have to be considered by interna tional conferences at the conclusion of the war. “It was with these questions in mind,’’ said, a high official, “that the United States attempted to secure a temporary agreement in the nature TILLMAN URGES NEW BLOW AGAINST ARMOR BARONS of a modus vivendi with the sole pur- pose of saving life If that could be done.’’ -ft The same official strongly indicat ed that the department virtually had decided It would npt during the course of the war deny armed mer chant ships of the Entente allies ac cess- to American ports and that its efforts would be confined to revising Instructions to port authorities with a view of making sure that such ships are not offensively armed. Officials also Indicated that they would consider separately the case of each armed ship coming Into Ameri can waters aifd that the action taken Would depend upon , the facts. The same course. It was said, will be pur sued Th the case of ships attached dr an gaged udder the new German In- truetlons. ' Dirh effTela 1 s vreye not prepared pn«« on the question -as to how far armed vessels would be Justified In resisting capture. They said that the contention that merrhaitt ships could not resist at- aljN mieht lead to the "absurd conclusion” that a fifty-foot motor boat, armed with a one-pound- >or run could capture the biggest ocean liner without risk to Itself. From German qusrters came the it that the ffsrmsa roverm- Suggests That Government be Given ' - v, • • Right to Requisition Plants in A Time of Danger. Senatd^ Tillman, chairman of the Senate naval committee, introduced Tuesday a bill which would author ize the government in time of war or threatened war to seize and operate for such a period as might be neces sary all privately owned plants manu facturing munitions and armor plate. Owners of such plants would be given recourse to the court of claims for reimbursement or losses incurred, and the government would be re quired to settle annually until pos session of the factories were restored all claims allowed by the court. The measure was introduced after Senator Tillman had addressed the Senate urging prompt passage of his bill to provide eleven million dollars for a government armor plate fac tory. This bill was favorably report ed by the naval committee in the face of notice from armor manufacturers that its passage would be followed by an increase of two hundred dollars a ton on plate furnished the gov»qm- ment for warship^. ^ w “The threat of those who are mak ing armor, which was voiced by the senator from Pennsylvania. Mr. Pen rose. to the committee in executive session, shows the temper of thesV men at this time,” declared Senator Tillmatf In his address, “and makes It vital for congress to teach them a lesson. The best answer to the threat Is the passage of the bill for a gov ernment armor factory.” Senator Tillman declared that he “had been shocked by the Insolence” of threats of the armor plate p^anu,- facturers anfl asserted that the longer congress delayed In building a government plant, "the more money the government will lose and the longer we will be in getting the new ships already authorized and those to be authorized by this congress.” “I have no doubt,” continues the senator, “that the naval program when agreed on by the lK.Q_bfl.usea. will approximate the number of ships asked for by President .^Vilson. and the sooner the government Is free from any possible danger of a hold up such as has been threatened, the better for tt and the country, too.” The senator concluded by saying that In spite of the technical and scientific nature of the manufacture of armor plate there was no doubt a government plant could be built and put into operation within two years KUCHIN DENIES STORY; . REITERATES HIS VIEWS LEGISLATORS STOP WORKING AND RETURN TO HOMES BOSSED Whole Movement Seems to Have Been Horn of Hatred to Wilson. Efforts which have been making for several days past to foment trou ble among the Democrata In the House by having It appear that the majority members were about on the eve of a ckncns to take action against Minority Leader Kitchin of North Carolina on the ground that he it not backing up thg administration’s pre paredness plans, upon Investigation by the correspondent of The State re sulted in almost a praeticai unanimi ty that the whole thin* so far as de posing the North Carolina congress man Is concerned is a political bhg- shoo and an effort on the part of cer tain papers inimical to the adminis tration's best interests to cause a tamcntable party split. . WhHe it Is undeniably true that practically every Demoora*. In con- grues- wlu> atands for ntfpamlBn.iS would be much pleased to have the Democratic leader back up the presi dent. It is recognized that Mr Kitch in Is entitled to his personal views and that they may be in opposition to those of his colleagues. It is further shown, not as making the existing situation less serious than It reaTTy'Isl'but as a matter of justice to Mr. Kitchin, that before he was elected-by the Democratic caucus at the beginning of the present ses sion of congress-as the successor to Oscar Underwood as majority leaVle^, he publicly announced that he was opposed to. the plan which is now be ing discussed. Mr. Kitchin wUl not relinquish his place as majority leader, nor will he lie asked to do so, according to the best information available now. Ask ed for a statement, Mr. Kitchin said: “There is not a word of truth in the statement that there is a move ment on foot to depose me as major ity leader. I have been on thg floor of the House aD day to-day and not a single member has intimated such a thing. -I am not the l^aot bit em barrassed about the report that such a movement has been i tarted; ’ • “I was -one of the first to oppose the continental army idea. I art not going to vote for the naval program as now propo ed, nor would I have Col. August Kohn Reviews Work of legislature for The News and Courier—Observations art* Publish ed Below—Some Instruetive Criti cism. In the Genera4-r Assembly, which adjourned without date at 5.35 o’clock Sunday morning, there were three features—prohibition, politics and passionless legislation. Prohibition was probably predomi nant. Whatever the prohibitionists Wanted they secured, and it was alto gether without what might be called “the steam roller process.” As is ex pressed in politics, “they just had the votes,” and whether prohibition is a success or a failure there can not he any charge that the friends of-^this system of handling the liquor traffic lacked for sympathy. The essentiaf accomplishments Tn the line of prohibition were: First, the granting of authority to use so much as fifty thousand dol lars for the enforcement of the prohi bition “laws. r , Second, the- making of the viola tion on the laws a chain gang of fence. Third, ’the reduction of the allow ance for personal consumption dur ing any one month from one gallon to half that quantity. Fourth, the application for every town and conceivable method of pro hibiting the sale, storage or transpor tation of liquor, except in two-quart quantities. Fifth, the re-enactment of every prohibition statute that could be in the rworda-VHvdet Ibe- Hatt- fleation Act. The only measure that was advo cated by the prohibitionists in the Senate and which failed in the House was the Carlisle bill, which sought to prohibit newspapers from advertising liquors in South Carolina, and then the House Insisted and secured a more liberal allowance of real beer for personal consumption under the two-quart a month statute. Prohibition is a political as well as an economic isaue in this state. It is rewarded as extremely popular in South Carolina It l* a political bal loon at this time, and Is going to l*e used during the coming summer for all It . Is worth. Then the two-cent rate bill, which died in the Senate, was another of the several campaign propositions utilized on the House side . * Perhaps the moat distinguishing feature of tbia session of the General Assembly was the utter lack of pas sion. in by-gone days the line of de marcation between Tillnianites and anti-Tillmanites was very sharp. Then cam.e the line between the dis pensary and antl-dls|»ensary. advo cates wore recently the advocacy of Gov. Blease and his policies was an acute Issue. Once or twice there was a slight symptom of *n effort to inject nartW san puiiiii s, hut it w.i-- a complete failure, and there is nothing that was done at this session of the General Assembly that bears any of the ear marks of partisanship. Quite true, policies that were advo cated by Gov. Manning were accepted, but they were accepted on their merits, rather than as political fac tors. and in most cases, such as on eoociliatiun bill, thwew was voted for the continental army pro gram. I am opposed to four battle ships and to the flve-ydar program. I never will vote for either one.” WANT A* COMMISSION Senate Puta off Action on Rural Credits Bill. In spite of earnest efforts from Senator Sherard to get his rural credits bill through, the Senate Tues day night adopted an amendment, proposed by Senator D. Reece Wil liams, providing for a commission to be created to study the quet-tion of rural credits and to report their find ings to the general assembly lu 1917 This means that there will be no •bon. a majority of the Senate think Ing that it would be better to get all the Information possible before en acting thla’legislation. house commissioner, or to the system itself and its possibilities, rema ns to be developed. One thing Is certain, and that is that the warehouse system has a Gotch hold on the political situation In this state. Ope of the essential* constructive measure, that failed looked towards the establishment of a State highway commission, or some other method of harmonizing and developing the road building of this State. The majority of the members apparently favored some State system, hut they could not agree upon any one method of hand ling thisrsituation, were afraid of the namo “commission.” and had to en counter the desire of each county to hold the revenue from the proposed automobile license and thereby for the tiwe being a State-wide system failed. This will come in time. , Constitutional amendments had rough skating, and all of them fell down the first time they tried to roll' around. There were three proposed amendments to the fundamental law of State-wide importance: First, the one looking to woman's suffrage; second, qne looking towards biennjal sessions, and. third, (tie Wolfe propo sition. which contemplates the grant ing of divorces under certain condi tions. Neither of these three ideas got by first base. 'Tin e of the measures,that excited considerate debate and in which there was the only suggestion of a filibus ter, was on tin* bill wjiich excommu nicates tTie Southeastern Tariff Asso ciation from South Carolina. This action, it is suggested, is a sequel to the contention of the warehouse com missioner on the matter of fire insur ance rates. This, added to the alleg ed arbitrariness of the rate-making bureau, persuaded the majority of the legislators to chase the Tariff Association out of the State, and South Carolina is for a second tiwe going to try some method of handling fire Insurance rates without a central rate-making bureau in this State. Under the terms'of the Act as amend ed in the House the Insurance com missioner is given the right to reyi*w all fire insurance rates, subject to sumwary Court review; mill mutuals and the Factory Insurance Associa tion are exempted; and it Is provided that nothing contained in the Act aluUi be held to Interfere with any Insurance placed by or through the warehouse rtmitulesioner. There was keen interest In the lia bility bill, which, after an Intense contest., was approved. Vnder the provisions of this Act as passed, what Is khown as th# doctrine of contri butory negligew-e as applied to rail road employeer was abandoned, and .to a large exten the federal Statute with reference to railroad liability was accepted as the statute law of South Carolina. The opponents of the hill secured pu amendment by which It was made plain that the daw-ages to be collected should not Include what Is known as punitive damages. At the outset of the session. It looked as if the counties that were not clever enough to dispose of all their liquor by the first of January last were going to be left with souve nirs. Some of tlie prohibition leaders began to urge that the counties that had not sold their liquor were to blame and that if they lost that they would haVe to censure the county boards and not the General Assembly One by one of the counties secured the consent of the House to the adop tion of bills which allowed the indi vidual counties to dispose of their stocks of unsold liquors outside of the Stale. Thia might have been ac complished in m general bllL but under the rules of the House what are known as strictly local bills seem to have the right of the way. and first one county secured the right to sell its liquor outside of the State through the old county hoards, and then another adopted that plan until it became unaniwous, but in each case a separate art was passed. Mr. Cothran culled himself an BRITISH AND FRENCH ADM ENEMY SUPERIORITY IN AIR NEW CHIVALRY IN AIR French Correspondent Writes of Cos- A* - . toms Which Have Begun in the Battles In the Clontls—Captures and Death are Announced by Packets. unanimity, in other cases, as on the Workingmen's Compensation Ret, urged and advocated by the governor, there was entire failure, and it was not even brought up for discussion. Most of the work accomplished at this session was rather in the nature of completing last year's Constructive undertakings; that is, the tax com mission law now in effect was strengthened in the opinion of its friends by a provision for a board of review, which is to act as a Supreme Court in matters of taxation. Then the Torrens system, which passed the House last year, was enacted into law. This system for the present is made optional, but it is thought that it will be so appealing to people that they will voluntarily accept the protection and economy that the system is expected to afford The McCullough child labor legis lation, ahto advocated by Gov. Man ning, was also enacted into law. This is a striking illustration ftf how much can be said in a few words. The en tire act consists of exactly twenty- five words, and reads. “No child under the age of four teen years shall be dirt ployed in any factory, mine or textile establishment of -this state after January 1, 1917.” There was no need to say more. Another suggestion of Gov. Man The debate'In the British parlia ment on the air defense of Great Bri tain was chiefly remarkable for the frank admissions made by the cabi net’s spokesmen that the present con ditions are far from satisfactory. Andrew Bouar Law, secretary for the colonies; A. J. Balfour, first lord of the admiralty, and H. J. Tennant, under secretary for war, all Spoke in this veip. They declared, however, that the government was doing all that was humanly possible. Mr. Balfour scorfxl the sensation of the day when lie declared that one of England’s great mistakes in the days prior to the war was failure to de velop a dirigible airship fleet along lines similar to that of Germany. “With regard to Zeppelins,” he said, “looking back on events I am sorry that we did not develop that type of vessel, not so much for ag gression and defense as for maritime and other scouting. Such airships might have played for us an impor tant part. Certainly Germany has had an advantage in possessing them. “We are doing what we can to remedy this state of things, but I do not pretend that, when we began the race 10 years behind the enemy, there is any reasonable probability of catching np. However, aomethlng must be done, and what can.is being done.” French aviation authorities agree that Germany has been able to entire ly transform Its aviation service since the war began, rtaking improvements of a most Important character, while It possessed certain advantages over the French flying corps at the outset. The reasons for the superiority of the Germans in what was considered before the war a French specialty 111 perhaps become public In the French parliamentary debate that Is Imminent. One aviator attributed the difference to the fact that while the French followed aviation aa a sport, the Germans took It up a ously for practical application to the requirements of the army. He points out that the Germans were flying at night long before the war began, while the French began their noctur nal trips only after the war was sav-t eral tponths old. 1 The same authority warns against the assumption that the results ob tained by the French flying corps are negligible. Whatever may be the foundation for criticism of this branch of the service, he says, the re sults obtained In some ways have been far more appreciable than what the Germans have done. He recalls that during the battle of the Marne September 8. 1914. aviators destroy ed half of the artillery of the Six teenth German army corps In the re gion of Triaucourt. This exploit was all the more re markable since the French had never appeared to arrive at any results In experiments made with the combined manoeuvres of artillery and flying machines before the war. One of the last notable attempts* made in 1912 during the manoeuvres resulted in ir*e*t never had esnected that the ' Entente-allies wauld iecent the sue* i gesDons made by the United State* | as they appeared to uphold the right to s'nh shlpo which can not bo taken la to port ning's tha‘t will be studied from a legislative standpoint is how rural credits might -be introduced to advan tage in tins state. There were sev eral.propositions offered, all of them having merit, but too detailed to be absorbed and the General Assembly appoiutecT'a commission to make a careful study of^the ..situation, and if in the meanwhile something practical can be worked out and the people can be educated to the possibilities of the- rural credits..System, a beginning might be made at the next session of the General Assembly as a result of- the present agitation. Another Step forward was made in the extension of support for the rural _ ^ .. graded school by taking into the fold There were a dozen or more bills w^t' schools in* the towns and cities that reference to county courtsIfoffses consent to accept children as pupils Twice that many referred to dthe- from the rural districts. An appro-1 public buildings in the various conn priaiinn of nnn hmniftui anil li»mU - a wore wen ( united atUli'MTT thousand dollars is dafrled this year Ing bridge and roads construction Ar for the purpose of subsidizing these ( arwful Ttf charter# were renewed-© I schools. - * i amended, aad the constitution o j There ,can be no question of the, which undertook to abridre t* hold that the State warehouse system local legislation; has outlived Its use had upon the member* of the General fulness to a large extent, largely be Assembly. 'Whatgvet Potnknisaihner cause of the wHH n Kne*a of member McLaurtn naked for was granted .to oblige their friends on “strict' Whether this he s tribute to hlr.-llc-- foci’ ri’tera."'— Laurie, aa aa tqdivideal. or whether I Alt efforts to laereaae the nlarte it trio h*a administration as ware- of Slate aad Judicial office's to a ♦V *ntrt dog in Icgitdaeion.” and this is alto gether true, and emphasises how im portant it is when good men can be secured to accejjft a place in the Gen eral Assembly, like Mr. Cothran, to have them continue in their service. It was Mr. Cothran's suggestion that relieved the strain of 'legislation to a very marked extent 'and helped to let everybody go hdwe happy. He suggested an amendment to the rules by w hich bills that are known as local uncontested measures might be con sided each day for thirty minutes and it is remarkable how much legis lation was enacted in the course of this thirty minutes, and thereby gave tfewoiKlous relief to the legislative mill Notwithstanding this, on the last day of the session, one hundred and twenty-four acts were ratified. There is a rule that no bill shall be read on the last day of the session, and as there were no sharp issues for settle ment the rule was abrogated and a number of bills given their final read ing on Hie last legislative day. H would he better if this rule were made so that no.bilj could be read for the last time three days before final Adjournment. It would give the engrossing department a chance and it would avoid the mistakes that al ways happen in the crowding and crushihg of the last moments of the legislative session. The mass of local legislation con tinues to grow. This is probably due to the growth .of the State, to the prosperity that is dominant, and to the desire of one member to please another. Never before have delpga- Mons»wielded such grat force in what might be called local affairs, and if the'pvesent gait continues the wheels of legislation^re going to be ad much clogged that general and con; stmctiyc suggestions are going to be side tracked. There were probably fifty or more Acts passed with refer ehce to bonds, both outstanding and prospective, for school buildings Senator Doesn’t Want lUggeat Navy in the WorbV—Speaks la the Senate. 1 “While we are not at war »ow—* ’and God forbid that we be at war any time soon—wisdom poiats an- erringly to the necessity of halos ready to defend oursehres.” With these words Senator Tillman Wednesday addressed the Senate ^n the passage of his armor plate pi> t hill, making an appeal for its pres- nt enactment. r v ’ “As soon as the navy department has decided whether it desires to In clude the making of munitions in thia armor plant or not, I may introdaee other amendments,” Senator Tillman said. “The secretary of the navy has asked for authority to erect a moni tions plant for the navy and U may be thought wise to Incorporate the armor factory and the munitions plant under the same organisation “ and put them in the same bill. “While we are not’at war now—■ and God forbid that we be at war any time soon, if ever—wisdom points un erringly. ,to the necessity of beisg ready to defend ourselves. “If President Wilson is quoted sor- rectly as desiring the United States to have a navy ‘incomparably the greatest in the world,’ I sky now and here that I am not In favor of any such navy as that; hut I do want us to have the second best navy afloat. “I know that we can not rival Eng land because her very existence de pends on her control of the sea. Her people would starve to death la six. months If she could not get Imports. By the greatest navy, J mean greatest In the efficiency of Its officers and la the fighting qualities of its ships at 11 kinds. “With s personnel from the high est officer to the humbleet ‘Jackie’ In it, 1 am already well satisfied, and be lieve they are second to none now—- Germany’s or Great Britain’s—end the events will show It if we ewer have a war with any great power. I can not believe that Preeldhat Wil son spoke advisedly or in cold blood when he said that we shoald have ‘incomparably the grealeet' navy la the world.* “I myself know as a public speaker and I have made aa many or mora stump speeches as any man la the Senate, the temptation to go a little further than prudence alwaya war rants. Men become enthaaed. mora or lees rash, at least they are more ultra than they otherwise would he when they get drunk on applaaaa. We all know how that la. those of aa who have been out oa the haettaga- When the people are shooting aad hurrahing we go wild.” Torrens System Favored. The bill providing for the Tor system of land registration passed the Senate Tuesday, and was returned te the House, with amendments. Zapata NCrowf bold Tab am. Ajusco, a fortified Zapata strear* hold, between Mexico City aad Cmor ns v tea. has been saptursd by dtar* ranza forces. _ The explanation now given by a com petent authority is that the Germans lost their best aviators at the very outset of the war. This fact was disclosed by the note book of a German aviator killed aea^ Verdun, February 4, this year. Ae early as September 12, 1914, the Ger man* had lost Furstenair, Neumann, Dallurg. Beaulieu, Greach, Jabnow, Koch, Blutgen. Heyden and Baadle- sin'. This Is further confirmed by a German aviator, made prisoner, who t L aald that they had found the greatest Un^thoos-U* eepiwro by-the opposing- UlfffcuTty In replacing these men kill- army of an entire flying corpa During the French manoeuvres of 1913, the flying corps, used under modifieef conditions, acquitted itself more creditably, but the. experiments gave no hint of the utility of the corps in actual warfare. Consequently, as compared with Germany, where it seems the experl ments were more significant, aviation as a service in the army was appar ently neglected. The Idea of protect ing flying corps with steel armor, at one time considered, was abandoned and was only taken up again after German armored flying machines bad been captured. The French also stuck to the mon oplane until they had captured enough of the German biplanes to give them demonstrative proof that they were superior for most different kinds of air work. The French also learned from the Germans that secur ity at great height is fallacious. Frag ments of shells reach them even-at a height of 3,500 yards, while at U&OO yards it Is often more difficult for the gunners to get the range. The fire at that point is generally too high. ' l- ' Again, ' at the beginning, the French aviation service used the same type of machine for all kinds of missions. All at once they discover ed that the German machine that made a raid on a metropolitan centre or military ppint was not the same as the machine that regulated the fire of (the artillery. The result of this was the beginning of a classification of aircraft with reference to special adaptability. There was also at the beginning a marked difference In the tactics em ployed by the.. German and French airmen. The former appeared to avoid contact with the lattpr, either wRh a view of concentrating their ef forts upon other objects than Indi vidual combats or with the Idea tha* the encounter. mi£ht not be equal adequate basis failed. This was large ly due to the' fact that a polilica /ear Is approaching. there w«* v**rv mnrh mnpp Interaal in the flection of the Judge for tW -new judicial circuit than there vn in. the establishment of that circuit and while the salary It regarded • entirely Inadequate the members ar - "onvlnced that they *have secured *rdee much above the axerAge la th Mate. The aew eoaaty of Mcrorraleh ws wttnrtred If the Saweem# Coa£ a- -oves. practically without oppoe ed or captured. This seems to explain the French claim that with less efficient material French aviators accomplished mora tangible results, such as the destrna tion of artillery, the blowing ap -of ammunition depots, destrnctloa of Zeppelins, and Zeppelin sheds, aa4 damage to tbs enemy’s field Works. The French army is said to have ample proof to this effect in orders of the day Issued from the German general headquarters, impreeelng upon the officers and men carefully studied ways of avoiding dangeroaa arms of the French flying corpa. There seems to be more eephrlto spirit de corps among the alrmea than in any other braath ef the ser vice, and greater mutual coarteey be tween officers of the different armies. The most recent manifesta tion of it was the dropping of Corpl. Kandulski, of the German flying corps, of a wreath upon the spot where he had brought the celebrated Pegoud to earth, bearing this inscrip tion: “To Pegoud, our enemy, who died like a hero. Signed, his adver saries.’’ In September, 1914, a German pilot established this precedent by dropping in the French lines a coar- Teous notice to the effect that Lieat. Fouret had been made prisoner at the camp of Chalons. Later on a Ger man aviator dropped behind the French lines a letter from the pilot Senouque, who had been eaptnred by the Germans In May, of this year, when Thaarhn and Blancpain were brought down by the German artillery, a German aria- tor flew over the lines And dropped a paper giving the circumstances, and terminating with these words: “Thoufdn and’ Blancflaih died thd death of the brave. Military honors were accorded to them.” When tha well known artist, Daniel de Losque, was killed In an aerial combat daring the return df his squadron-from tha attack upon Sarrebruck, one of tha enemy's fldtllla dropped a notice stat ing’“De Losque and bis pilot foughh bravely. They are buried at Jlar- Their -papers IjS - f £ -.-fc-fcX will %e sent back to France by way if Switzerland,** The present crisis’in French av1»> ton Is said tn some quarters to be a dm pie conflict of Individual prafar- •nce* on the part of leading officiate f the service It does not mean, hey say. that the flying corps te nal n shape tn eontlaae efficient work, "he question la as te a farther it