The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-08-21
COMPLICATION IN
CRETAN AFFAIRS
Attitude of the Powers Affect
ed Is Problematic
SERVICES OF AEROPLANE
As Human Agency in Warfare Is Con-
sidercd by French Army Officials.
More Than 100000 Horses
Eaten Annually
OF AEROPLANE

Paris, August a.-(Specoal only a
few days after the announcement that
the Cretan executive committee had
yielded to the invitation of the protecting
powers and allowed the Mussulman dep
uties to sit in the assembly without TAX
ing the oath of allegiance to the King of
Greece, a distinguished diplomat met me
at the garden party of the Elysee
"Ahr' he said nous sommes tran
DULLES pour sin semaines" He was a
good prophet The truce is hardly likely
to last longer, and there are already
signs of trouble in the expressed deter
mination of NJ. Venizelos to run for the
Greek parliament Evidently, If he adj
here to his decision the worst is to be
feared He gives the French fresh occa-
sion that England has dallied with this
question, having Interior motives to serve.
There Is disposition in official circles
here to abandon the whole matter and let
events take their course. France is half
inclined to suik under her tents and allow
England Russia and Italy to fight II out
as they please. This state of mind Is due
to the reluctance Of the English minister
of foreign affairs to adopt any decision.
THE present attitude is perfectly fllog-
ical," observed a keen student of the
situation to me today. TT is impossible
to secure unanimity, and any action of
an effective sort is Immediately paralyzed
by the non possumus' attitude of Eng
land. It is really too ridiculous. Let us
70 and LET
us do 1.-THE present situation Is intol-
cradle. and Will add in infaming Turkey
into a war, already irritated as she is by
her difficulty with Bulgaria. The liberal
cabinet in England seems to be under
the domination of the old Gladstoman ret
ish of phil-Hellenism."
CANAAN I. Sazerac de Forge of the
French army, who Is one of the enthu-
sia SITS for aviation, has given his views
on what he calls humane services TO the
army which aeroplanes are destined TO
render In future warfare. 1t is sometimes
sur,nosed that the extensive use of flying
machines would only add to the existing
horrors of warfare, but, according to
him. they are more likely to reduce them.
Drowning of shells or bombardment from
fying machines, he says, Is out OF the
question and will never be attempted
Aerop1anes in future wars Will be used
in saving lives formerly wasted In scout
ing. When the general in command
wants to be informed of the strength and
position of the enemy he will call on the
aviation officer.
He will tell him simply that in two
hours time he wishes to be informed of
the strength OF the enemy at certain
points and of the reserves behind the ad-
vance lines The aviation officer will get
his fotilla of four aeroplanes ready Two
very fast flying machines, provided with
special projectiles and mounted by sin
gle aviator, will lead and be commits
stoned to protect the advance of the
other two aeroplanes, on which there are
| two officers.
Speeding along rapidly at great
height the fotilla passes over the enc
my's outposts, inspects the ground below
and detects the troops massed under the
cover of houses, trees, or along the
roads The sight Of artillery, which can
not be concealed will reveal the strength
of the force In few minutes the Off
GERS will have taken In everything and
will return to headquarters with pre-
else report far more valuable than one
retained by a skirmish.
IF one of the aviators should happen
to have a breakdown or be disabled by
| the enemy, there would be only one latal-
itv instead of hundreds of thousands to
be deplored Thus aviation, instead of
adding to the terrors of future wars Will
considerably diminish them. or will at
least greatly reduce the useless expendf-
ture of human lives.
| There is crisis in the horsehesh,
trade In Paris at the present moment, and
1t seems that import duties are the cause
| of It. If meat were not subject to i'm
port duty there is no reason why the
French workman should not eat beef and
mutton like the American workman, but
since the duty exists the price of meat is
frequently too high for his modest purse,
and he eats horsehesh.
More than 100000 horses are slaughtered
| in France annually for human consump-
ton; in Paris alone the figure is about
$4,000 The consumption of horsefiesh has
increased remarkable in recent years; five
years ago only $4,000 horses were eaten.
| The demand is still growing, the sup
ply appears to be stationary. 1t is be-
coming increasingly difficult to obtain
horses to kill, for the reason that duty
of $40 or $50 is imposed on each horse en-
;r<4 Ial fo