The Mena weekly star., 1910-01-27
THE AVIATION MEET
INTERESTING AND EXCITING sPEcTAcLEs AT THE Los
 ANGELES TOURNAMENT.
AIRSHlP'S USE IN TIME OF WAR
Lieut.. Beck Demonstrates by Target Practice What Could be Accom-. pIlshed in Wars by Flying Machines -Paulhan Carries Passengers.

Los Angeles, Jan. 21.-Target prac- tice from an airship by United States army officer, nose and nose race around the course of two dirigible balloons, a Emile voyage to the ocean by man and a woman in a bi-plane and other exciting spectacles famed the enthusiasm of the crowd to white heat at the international mid winter aviation tournament
 Incoming trains added numerous notables to the throng of spectators in- cluding William Randolph Hearst who took long flight in an aeroplane with Louis Paulhan, of France. In the crowd were governors and senators from sur rounding states and distinguished men in all callings. A man, standing in one of the boxes, counted "A million. aires within range of his vision.
 The target practice of Lieut.. Paul w. Peck was watched with interest by hundreds of aviation enthusiastis. who believe that the aeroplane will take an important part in future wars. Lieut. Beck was in Farman bi-plane, driven by Paulhan. He took with him three bags of sand. weighing about 10 pounds each. Before the start was made, a new target was marked in front of the grandstand. It was about 10 feet square.
 Passing over the grandstand at an altitude of 400 feet, Lieut.. Beck drop. ped the bags one after another. While none of them landed upon the target, all struck the ground so close to the mark as to leave no doubt of the effectiveness of the bi-plane In an at tack upon the enemy. Army officers who watched the tests said that while 1t would be dangerous and probably futile to pass over a battleship or a fortification at such an altitude in an aeroplane, such flight might be made successfully at night. Had Lieut., Beck's sand bags been bombs made of powerful explosives, they said. 1t would have been easy to destroy or disable a warship or demolish a bat. tery. Had Lieut.. Beck passed over a battleship instead of the 10 foot tar get, they sald his missiles would eer- tainly have landed upon the deck of the vessel Had they been bombs in- stead of being harmless bags of sand. 1t was the general opinion that great havoc would have been wrought.
 During the afternoon Paulhan made | the longest flight ever made in the | history of aviation with woman passenger The woman was Madam | Paulhan. who declares that when her husband Is doing dangerous and sensa tional things she feels more comfort able when at his side than when among the spectators. with their feet planted safely upon the ground. Paul han took his wife to Redondo Beach and back. distance of 2i miles.
 It was only an incident of the day for Paulhan. few hours later he made a second flight to the ocean with Clifford B. Harmon, of New York as passenger Between times, he made four long flights with other passen. gers. William Randolph Hearst, Mrs Courtlandt Field Bishop, wife of the president of the Aero Club of America and others.
 Modern Pekin is Progressive. Char ges ir Pekin are striking: Mao 1 adamized roads, improved drainage | streets kept clean, side stalls re | moved into markets, traffic handled by uniformed trained police, mcdern pub | lie buildings, electric light. carriages and broughams Tn place of chairs oi | carts, improved schools with students In uniform, female education, public reading rooms and lecture halls, all intercourse with foreigners never be fore krown, daily newspapers with tropical illustrations. geological and botanical gardens. and a crusade against opium.
 Fekin, exclusive of its un.mportant suburbs. has population of 693.044 persons. represented by 12S 00S fan lilies. The children number 173.26l onehalf of whom are of school age. | The city has 1S3 schools for boys an
 IT for girls. with a staff of 200 men teachers and 100 women teachers. The l average daily attendance is 16,2 n 3-1-