The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-19
OLD ENGLAND IS READY ID FIGHT This Is Indicated By Many
 Statements R. c. BLAIR SUICIDES Coronation Will Be Blaze of Pagean- try Preparations Being Made
 for the Investiture of the
 Prince of Wales 

| London. February 1S.-(Special.) )-That
 the government Is alarmed at even the possibility of an invasion by Germany
 which is apparently aware of the poor
 condition of the navy for lack of men
 is shown by the recent frequency of
 statements which are calculated to prove
 that England Is prepared for fight at
 the dropping of a hat.
 Following up A5m.ral Wilson's decla-
 ration that England could not be in-
 vaded. a war expert who says he has
 carefully considered the subject, says:
 Tn the light of the British position as | the center of an overseas empire, de-
 fense of four lines has been evolved. as | follows:
 First-The basic principle is the ex-
 istcnce of a seagoing force of predominant
 strength. This comprises squadrons In l foreign waters varying from time to | time in accordance with the grouping of the powers; secondly, the Atlantic fleet,
 acting as pivot force between home and I Mediterranean waters, reinforcing either as required: and squadrons in the vicin- l ity of the British Isles, arranged as fol- | lows:
 "The first and second divisions of the |
 most powerful ships. fully manned and
 stored, and always on a war footing
 instantly ready for war
 | "The third and fourth divisions of the l home fleet, maintained on a peaceful! footing with nucleus crews. but with an l organization enabling the third division l to be put on a war footing at a few | hours notice. The balance crews to
 complete the nucleus crews to war l strength are always told off, and inn
 mediately available in the depots and in-
 structional establishments of the ports to
 which the ships are attached.
 "The first sea lord, as the supreme ex-
 pert responsible for the naval policy of 1 the country, and the direction of it's fleets 1 in war, declares that apart from the | squadrons serving in far distant waters,
 somewhere within wireless call we have nearly double the number of batteships | and cruisers that Germany can muster. "Second-For the first time In It's his- l tory the nation possesses a second line of
 naval defense-a mobile coastal defense
 consisting, of destroyers and submarines. :" l Capt. R. C.. Blair, adjutant of the Gurkha Rifles, boarded the steamer at Alden. He was only B years of age, but
 seemed to be Respondent. He was on his way to England for the benefit of his l health.
 l FTludy, january. l3, Cdptdln b.dff dt- | tention seemed directed to the fact that l it was an un1ucky day and an unlucky l date. He also recalled the fact that he | had recently sat with 13 at table I That this series of circumstances preyed | on his mind Is generally believed by his l fellow passengers. and it is reported that
 he told brother officer that if anything | happened to him that day they would find l ESQ in his cabin, and he wanted this sent | back to his regimental mess The matter was regarded as a joke, but | just after 10 at night, when midway be- l tween Alden and Suez. Captain Blair post ed two letters and then lighted a cigar ette. With this in his mouth he jumped l into the sea.
 the spot and lifebuoys were thrown, but no trace of the officer could be found 1 In all probability he never came to the surface, as the region was infested with l sharks.
 King George and Queen Mary will be
 crowned next June amid a blaze of page
 antry. On June P the coronation takes place at Westminster abbey. l The chief events of the week will be, according to present arrangements: | Thursday, June 22, coronation profession
 from Buckingham palace to the abbey | Friday, June 23, royal progress to the city
 and back through South London; royal visits to the Guildhall; royal review of
 fleets at spithead.
 Soon after tho coronation the king and queen will visit Scotland and hold levee | at Holyrood palace. the ancient court of the Scottish kings. They may go to Ire l land. Millions will be spent for the cor
 onation
 Preparations are being made for the n- vestiture of the Prince of Wales at Car navon in July. It has been suggested | that staging should be erected around l the castle, which would enable 10000 spectators to witness the ceremony. The Carnavon town council has ap- proved the proposal that a grand Welsh national pageant shall be one of the lead ing features of the festivities. It is proposed to seek the cooperation of several towns in producing the page ant. for which 2000 performers will be required.
 Reporting to the county council educa- tion committee, the chldren's care sub committee state that the returns received from April to the end of October show that 4.732213 meals had been supplied to needy school children during that time, and the subcommittee estimates that 4636,0S0 meals will be required for the
 period from November to the end of MATCH HeAt. 1HOuSanuS or children go to school on empty stomachs. Following an old custom, two Guilford maidservants threw dies to decide which should receive f11 19s., the income from
 a charity dating from 1874. The girls selected this year by the trustees were l-.ith Palmer and Eliza Hilda Loader The Caversham magistrates recently committed Rev. Thomas Hughes, the rec tor, to goal for 28 days for non-payment of taxes amounting to over ZIP. The overseer stated when he saw the rector the latter informed him he had 10 children to support. The man was in ac- tual need.
 Enforced idleness seems to be decreas- ing Returns relating to 100000 members the percentages of members returned as unemployed at the end of each month of 1910 was AZ as compared with IT in 1909 and 7.8 in 1908.
 Recently at Old Bailey, Thomas Ray mond was sentenced to three years penal, servitude and five years detention:
 Thomas Wrightson to 20 months hard labor. and Charles Henry Goodspeed to IS months hard labor, for breaking and entering St. Georges cathedral, South wark, and Canon Sprankling's house ad- joining, and stealing $20.00O worth of prop erty.
 Among other things the burglars took were eight valuable chalices, a Crimean medal won by the late Catholic bishop prized article was an altar stone of tho 10th ccnflIrv in silver This is ho