The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-05
COUNT ZEPPELIN
TRAVELS HARD ROAD
Career as Aviator Seems to Be
on Decline
KRUPPS OFFER PRIZE
Confidential Offer to Scientific Experts
for Invention which VIII Project
Electrical Energy TO
Distance
By STEPHEN BURNETT

By STEPHEN BURNETT
Berlin, June 4-(Special. Poor Count
Zeppelin 1t looks as though he were des-
tined to suffer the lot of almost all orig
inal inventors. supersession, and as
though, moreover, he were in danger of
losing the countenance of the man who
dubbed him the most distinguished Ger
man of the goth century
At dinner given by Prince Schonaich-
Carolath a few evenings ago, the count
openly complained that the cause of the
disaster to his balloon at Weinberg had
been grievously misrepresented by the
military authorities and worse than that,
that when talking to him at a reception
the chancellor never once alluded to the
disaster much less offered his sympathy
on account of it.
The count maintained that If the bal
loon had been properly anchored It would
not have been blown away and that II
its military crew had remained aboard"
as they ought to have, 1t could have
been easily conducted to place of
curity. The worst of the matter is the
impression now pretty strong in Germany
that the rigid Zeppelin type of airship has
had its day and will sooner or later be
displaced by the non-rigid Parseval or
semi-rigid Gross.
But whatever happens Count Zeppelin
can be sure of one thing. Though the
proofs have not yet been passed, his
name is already written beside that of
Montgolher in the pages of history.
The Krupps of Essen have circulated
private and confidential offer to we'll
known scientific experts for invention
which will project electrical energy to a
distance The base idea is to direct pow
erful electrical currents into the gas bag
of balloons and explode them; also to
direct this current into the magazines of
warships.
Many brains are concentrated on this
problem. and experts believe it will be the
development of warfare. Success would
mean the destruction at one stroke of the
worlds aerial and marine Dreadnoughts.
The administration of the Austrian navy
is considering a navy bill for the dual
monarchy. 1t is believed that it will be
submitted to the delegations in the au-
tumn. In this manner the progress of the
navy will become independent of parlia-
mentary majorities. The bill is likely to
fix an age limit for all vessels and raise
the number of ships, making a division
from three to four. Every year three YES
sells will be replaced and a new one added.
BY 1920 the Austro- Hungarian fleet
would number 20 battleships, viz, u Dread
noughts of over 1000 tons, three ships of
1850. and three of 1880 tons. The first
supplies for the Dreadnoughts will be
voted next year, probably $50 1000 krones.
TheAustrian government is steadily pur-
suing its studies for monopolizing the pc
troleum industry of the country. Difficult
ties-technical and commercial and parlia-
mentary-stand In the way of realizing
the project. AS far as can be judged at
present the proposal will be for state
monopoly of production, not of sale. The
rehneries would get their quota of pc
troleum, the total being sufficient to sup
ply the entire home demand. In this way
1t is hoped to defeat the competition of
the Vacuum Oil company, a Standard Oil
concern, and to assist the important oil
industry of Galicia.
Two tons of legal documents concern
ing an important law suit have been de-
stroyed by a fire in a parcels wagon on
the Hungarian State railways. The docu-
in the famous case which has been going
on for years between Count Werbna-
Kaunitz and Count Moritz-Palffy, In
which the possession of a vast entailed
estate conferred the famous states
man, Count Kaunitz, by the Empress Ma
ria Theresa in 1850. is at stake. Count
Werbna-Kaunitz the former holder of
the estate, was dispossessed by the court
of first instance at Trencsen, on the
ground that a genealogical tree and
church register on which his title was
based were forgeries.
He apepaled to the higher court at
Pressburg. and the whole dosser was
dispatched thither SO that the documents
mentioned, on which the case turned,
have now been destroyed with the rest.
The Hungarian police regard the circum-
stances of the fire as suspicious, and are
making extensive Investigations.
According to information reaching polit-
ical circles here, the annexation of Corea
by Japan will become a fact shortly. II
not Immediately The Japanese govern
rnent will only proclaim the annexation
after the commercial treaties expiring on
July /, and of which notice must be given
year previously, have been renewed.
The new treaties will contain the words.
Japan, including the province Of Corea."
Negotiations connected with this change
have already been begun with the powers.
The Importance of the event is seen In
authoritative quarters from the circum-
stance that 1t Is accomplished without
Russian opposition, and even, apparently,
In agreement with that government, as
at the same time an understanding upon
the differences between the two powers
will be reached.
The friendly relations of England with
Russia and her alliance with Japan have
he -Tay,