The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-26
Air ships to Succeed 1t in
Favor With PdriSianS.
THE STRENUOUS EMPEROR
He Has Gone on His Vacation, Which
One. After Remembering What He
Does in Year, Must Admit
He Has Earned.
BY PAUL vlLLlERS.
Especial Gable to The Times Dispatch.
Copyright, I9O3J

PARIS, July 25.-1t looks very much as
IL the reign OF the automobile. the pet
toy of Paris society," would not last much
longer.
Automobile dealers admit that since
tho terrible accidents OF the Paris-Ma-
drid automobile race, followed by the
defeat of the French machines in the
Gordon Bennett race. tho sale Of automo-
biles has gone down more than fifty per
cent.
Besides another competitor to the favor
of Parlsians is already looming up in the
horizon.
Tho dirigible airship possesses many
more features than the automobile to APP
peal to our tagged out brains and nerves.
Ever since Santos Dumont went TO the
races at Longchamps in his airship and
afterwards descended to his house. leav-
Ing his aerial vehicle waiting outside,
liko an ordinary cab, Parlsians have be-
gun to think seriously Of adopting ar
SHIPS as means Of locomoton.
a few days go the Duchess Of Uzes,
accompanied by the Duke. made an at
tempt to lift" the French Women's
aerial cup, which at present belongs to
Nine Savalle.
Two other aero women" Mines. Far
dan and Surcoup. will now try TO break
the aerial long distance record, also held
by Nine. Savalle. who has covered 40S
kilometres in nineteen hours
The craze for airships has already
taken strong hold on society.
| Count Henri de la Vault has already
twice crossed the Mediterranean.
| Count de Castllan de Saut Victor and
NJ Jacques BALKAN are daily making
excursions over our heads, and there Is
| little doubt that when the Paris sea-
son begins again almost all our most
exclusive society people will think So
rously of getting off the earth" as
you say In America.
Strenuous Emperor.
The Kaiser has gone on his annual
vacation, and he certainly deserves 1t.
Like President Roosevelt, whom no
greatly admires, he believes very much
In the strenuous life, and takes his task
as Emperor very seriously.
There are, few people, and certainly
no monarchs, who work harder than he
does.
He inspects annually at least once
every army corps in Germany; he opens
and closes the Relchstag, and he invaria-
bly, composes all his official speeches
himself.
! During the last year he is reported to-
| Rave kept close account Of all tho docu-5
ments he has signed and the Imperial
| statistics show that during the year,
from July l. 1902, to the same date thi't
year, the Kaiser signed 9.9oS documents
Of different kinds.
Besides this, 10,413 military document,
passed through his hands and the Imps :
| rial Military Cabinet handled more tha n
| $4,000 reports.
During the year the Kaiser listened to
| 1877 lengthy oral reports by the chief OF
| the Military Cabinet, So reports by jtha
Minister of War, and 2l5 reports by the
| Secretary of the Navy.
| When to all this is added that he per-,
| sonally supervises the education and MILL,
| tary and naval training of his sons. ONT
| must admit that he has earned his Vaca :
| ton.
Hugo's Home.
Paul Meurice's idea has been sanctiont ID
by all Paris, and every day sees a pill
| grimage to Victor Hugo's house on Pin &c
I des Vosges.
1t is very interesting to watch tho re.
| spectful attitude of the crowds who ent CT
the famous poets old home.
You would think you were in church
the silence is extremely impressive, and ]
have not yet seen one man who kept mis-
| hat on having crossed the threshold.
Every little tr!fle Is closely Inspected,
but one particular nook is always crowd
| ed with people. who stand for half an
hour at time looking at small volume,
| on the cover OF which Is large hee en-
| broidered In gold.
A manuscript in Victor Hugds own
| handwriting lies close to the book.
| 1t reads thus:
"The bee on the cover of this book
once ornamented the throne of the Em-
| peror OF France.
ut was embroidered upon an immense