Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-05

aA'a nv 49,
rides the air. The first slogan bears the
veneration of years, the second comes with
a mighty sweep OF artificial wings and a
scream Of Teutonic Joy terribly trying on
the nerves of Picadily. Count zeppelin's
balloon flight Of $50 miles throws a fresh
scare into quarters overstocked with
scares and fills the British taxpayer with
fresh terror. What will happen to that
unfortunate. now facing the severest tax
ing scheme of the nations history, should
the government decide that Dreadnoughts
Of the air are as necessary to the nations
safety as Dreadnoughts Of the scar I'm
agination halts and takes refuge in sym
patty. Some features of the record flight,
however, afford satisfaction to Brltishers
not wholly infected by Germanphobia,
The D~readnought of the air averaged
twenty-three miles an hour. The latest OF
the British Dreadnoughts of the sea, the
battleship-cruiser Invincible, cut through
the waves at an average speed Of thirty
two miles an hour. As a factor in war the
British D~readnought outruns the German
Dreadnought by a safe margin of speed
and is not as liable to be put out OF bust
ness by colliding with a tree. Among
German military men the dirigible balloon
- Hol ItkdIutu as a Nllhl ldClOI III dCLlNe
military operations. First cost is consid-
cred excessive, in view Of the certainty
that like practical results will be obtain
able by means Of aeroplanes, costing but a
fraction of the Zeppelin airship. Its car
rying power, estimated at twenty-five per-
sons, makes the dirigible a negligible guam
tity in that respect. For observation pur-
poses the cheaper and more easily man
aged aeroplane is esteemed by these ex-
perts the coming military adjunct. These
considerations are evidently appreciated
by the distinguished inventor and air nav
lgator, for his hackers propose using the
dirigibles for passenger service over and
around the Alps. But John Bull, not con-
tent with German assurances, is diligently
shooting at captive balloons a mile high.
The achievement of the Zeppelin airship
increases the difficulty enthusiasts expert
ence in keeping their feet on the earth.
Aeronautics is epidemic in Europe. Ex-
pectations are leagues in the air and de-
velopments that will astonish a conserva-
tive world are common predictions. Ac-
tivity in the conquest Of the air" Is dis
tinct to produce results approaching a
revolution. Before the cooler months of
autumn come around we are likely to be
all but convinced that nothing short of
that is the significance of the aerial tri-
umphs of one kind and another. Perhaps
ii would not do to be flippant, TO assume
that the fever will pass and the world will
be pursuing it's normal course for an In
definite period thereafter. The Wrights,
for instance, have accomplished something
that most persons were convinced could
never be accomplished. They at least were
not vain dreamer Nor do they discuss
the future sensationally now that the
whole world accords them a hemingway,
turns to them for reliable representation
Their ~aeroplanes are the motorboats OF the
air. zeppelin's dirigible is the steamer of
the clouds. Between these extremes lies
ample room for development.
SS
Some interesting figures concerning the
composition of the Russian army are sup
piled by the ministerial reports regarding
the conscriptlons Of 1907 and 1908. Nearly
half the army was recruited from provinces
Of Great Russia. In 1907 the proportion
was 2O2, 900 Great Russians out of a total
of 4AC, 900 recruits. If Little Russians and
White Russians be added the figure rises
to 1872, 900 In 1907, and in 1908 to $780, 900 out of
a total OF 456, 900 recruits. over IS per cent
of the Russian army belong to the Greek
Orthodox faith. In 1907 the non-Christian
recruits represented $4,000 Jews and 1900
Musulmans. The physique of the men is
established as follows: The height OF
about q per cent Of the recruits was s feet
6A inches; 26 per cent, 5 feet AZ inches; IS
per cent. 5 feet ga inches; 16 per cent. 5
feet 8 inches; less than / per cent Of 5 feet
/ inch. There were 1.2i5 recruits whose
height was 8 feet ~ inches. 12s of 6 feet
81 inches, and 10 of 6 feet S inches. There
were four above 6 feet s inches. AS re-
CARDS education, the statistics are far from
satisfactory. Over 81 per cent of the re-
cruits were miterate. OF 275,OOO recruits in
1907 who were able to read or write, only
about 5000 had passed the medium or
higher standards in education, 5000 the
lower standard, 10000 could read and
write, $4,000 could only read.
The recent visit of the German emperor
to the Austrian capital evidently put the
finishing touches on the dual alliance and
! evoked impressive enthusiasm in Vienna.
The significance of the visit is attested In
the following official note In the Politische
Corresponding: mo previous appearance
of the German emperor could make in
Vienna so deep a political impression as
the present visit, which follows upon q
period of international tension such as had
not prevailed in Europe for long past, The
attitude assumed by Germany during the
events of the autumn and spring trans
formed the Balkan crisis from an Austro-
Hungarian affair into a Joint experience
of the monarchy and OF the German en-
pire. as we'll as into a highly instructive
lesson for the whole political world. The
course and result of the crisis gave tangt-
Bile expression to the formerly underesti-
mated political and moral power of Aus
tria- and thoroughly destroyed
certain strange legends concerning its vi
tality. To this success was added the ex-
tremely valuable effect produced by the
unshakingly loyal cooperation of Germany
with the monarchy. and also the vigor and
energy Of the alliance between the two EN-
pires. which many believed to be a with
cred formation"
The amended draft Of the constitution
- the projected union Of South Africa.
uhtcb will probably be approved by the