The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-31
CATHOLICS FORM INSURANCE FIRM Many Prominent Church
 men Are Interested r'
 THE ANTARTIC TRIP Is Being Busily Prepared For in
 EngIand-Work on Channel Tunnel Is Progressing Rapidly
Bx PHILLIp EyERErT

By PHILLIP EVERETT
 London, May 0.-(Special.) IA big new insurance company is to be formed by the heads of the Roman Catholic church in England which is apt to prove a very serious competitor to existing companies, English and American. I have not been able to find out just what the capital of the company Is to be, but it will be very large and all prominent Catholics lyere from the enormously rich Duke of Nor folk downward are interested, while sev- eral millions of the vatican's money are also to be invested In shares While the company is to be run on capital invest ed solely by Roman Catholics, 1t will be e business concern pure and simple and for this reason several of the men who will look after the business, will be chos- en among the shrewdest Jewish business men in the city of London and paid very liberal salaries. but will not be allowed to hold shares. of the profits. which are quite likely to be very large. 75 per cent will go to the stockholders while 25 per cent will be set aside for the benefit of the Catholic churches under the advice of committee of which Archbishop Bourne will be chairman.
 Since Sir Ernest Schackleton's appeal 10 the people of England in three days secured all the money necessary to equip the Australian Antarctic Expedition the leader, Dr. Mawson, has been bus fly engaged buying all kinds of supplies to ensure it's success. For the first time in the history of Polar expedition an aeroplane will be used and lieutenant Hugh E. Watkins of the English army who is to be his pilot Is daily experi- menting with the machine selected, powerful monoplane with hundred horsepower motor. The strongly built aeroplane Is very portable. The wings may be attached to the body in less than ten minutes and it's motor has a very large reserve power.
 A special screen will be made to pro- tect the pilot and his passenger from the cold Adjustments of the carburetter and fuel tanks will be necessary to pre- vent the petrol freezing. It is probable that the present landing chassis of the machine-two wheels and a central skid will be altered in order to facilitate ris- ing and descending upon snow.
 So far as at present outlined the aero plane will be employed for survey work and also in connection with the journey to the Magnetic Pole An observer will be able to make rough maps while fly ing. It is hoped that the machine will be able to fly 250 miles without a stop.
 It is only about once a year that we hear fthe Channel Tunnel the under taking that is one day to connect Eng land with the Continent. but the work has been begun, and the company which nrOSoCntlOn a yO is still in existence and waiting it's op- portunity to continue. The annual meet ing was held the other day when, as usual, Baron Emile Bourmont d'Eran- ger presided. The company's money is still intact, and 1t is earning interest which enables the directors now and then to engage in campaign for the breaking down of the prejudice which exists on naval, military. and other grounds against the construction, of the tunnel.
 in these days of the entente cordiale there ought to be very little fear of in- vasion from France, and I should cer- tanly be sorry for the fate of an army that attempted to cross from shore to shore by tube, and so run the risk of being drowned like rats in a sewer as soon sthe enemy got an inkling of its intention.
 
 survivors of an old family of Honiton lacemakers, are almost heart-brolSen be- cause failing vision has robbed them of the honor of making some of the lace that is to be used by Queen Mary and the ladies of the court during the coro- nation festivities.
 The widowed trio are Mrs. Cawley, who is sS years of age, Mrs. Cornish who Is only 73 and Mrs. Nathan who is v. Years ago these old ladies made the lace for the late King Edwards christi ening cap
 ''There were five of us sisters then" said Mrs. Cawley to an interviewer from London the other day, "and each of us had to make a bit of the cap. There were nearly dozen lace-makers turned on to 1t, and had to make the lace that went over the baby's forehead. It was of treble-raised design-all made by hand every thread of it.
 we did some work for Queen Victoria and there was room at Buckingham palace filled with every kind of Honton lace We worked royal coats of arms and other heraldic devices in the finest lace. and made curtains, valances, and pillow cases for the royal bed-chamber
 we all went into the industry very young" Mrs. Conish recalled. "T be- gan as an apprentice when I was six years old. Mrs. Nathan was eight, and Mrs. aCawley getting on for ten We used to work sometimes fourteen and sixteen hours day. Over and over again the five of us set up all night lace-maklng.''
 The old age pension came just in time to prevent the tragedy of poverty In Mrs. Nathan's declining years from be- coming complete TT nearly lost my sight working for 2 rich lady, she said. "Her husband, general in the army, presented her with an exquisite scarlet dress In India, but 1t was so dazzling that the lady asked me to make a net work of black honiton lace to go over 't I did so, but my that was my last york"
 The three lone souls have refused tempting offers to go to London to see the, coronation. They prefer restful-- if little sad cheerless-in existing in a cottage home in Devon.
 George Bernard Shaw's iconoclastic tendencies have again got him into hot water. The talented writer sticks to the pernicious habit of saying just what he thinks and his thoughts are generally of . kind to arouse contradiction. Just now