The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-17

Not only Switzerland, but also Austro- Hungary, 1taly's ally, is thinking of the possibilities of Italian aggression. Since General Conrad has been at the head of the Austrian general staff the fortifica- ton of the mountain valleys of the Tyrol along the Italian frontier has been car ried on with unceasing energy until now every connecting pass and valley between the two countries is closed by powerful Notifications
 Now attention has been turned to the Stilfser Joch. a well known Alpine oass situated at the junction of the frontiers O. Austria, Italy and Switzerland. Over this fine carriage road leads from Italy into Austria. The pass has hitherto been considered amply defended by the fact that the route passes for distance of about eight miles across a narrow point Of neutral Swiss territory, but since the construction by Italy of fortified camp at the foot of Monte Umbrall and of a fort upon Monte Opa, both near the ltal- ian end of the pass. and the extension of the Italian railroad to Bormio. a strong agitation has started for defensive meas ures on the Austrian side.
 Italys activity on this corner of her frontier Is shown by the fact that ,noiin- tain climbers are no longer allowed to ascend Monte or Pig UmbraiI, one of the well known Alpine ascents.
 
 The wine makers on the Rhine and Moselle have just gathered their grapes with unusual demonstrations of satisfac- ton with the years crop. When the church bells tolled in hundreds of yil- laRes to announce the beginning of the grape picking they awakened memories of the good old days of some ten years or mere back, before the vineyards were damaged by phyiloxera, worms and other pests; for this year the hot weather and the long cloudless days were death 10 the insect but caused the vines to bear grapes I'of sweetness almot without parallel. And the quantity harvested was some- what more than half crop which Is re- garded as very good result in view of the continued failures of recent years. Owing to these failures grapes and grape juice are bringing extraordinarily high prices now. The best grapes are bringing as much as 45 cents per pound, and grape juice for wine making is sold at from 70 cents to $1 a gallon. The pest | irice at Bingen brought s2.45 a gallon. These are reported to be the highest prices ever known.
 | German makers of gas engines and chemists have been for several years working on the problem of gasifying peat | for use in gas engines The solution ap- pears to have been found by an establish | ipent in Gorlitz. which uses the so-called haif-water-gas process, which is different from the Mond process used in Falkland The Germans call the product a suction | gas. because the engine pumps in into
 itself. instead of it being forced into if under pressure. This new method of
 generating suction gas Is said to give five land one-half to six times the heat and
 power effect of Mond gas The new pro.
 cess has now been in operation for sev.
 eral months. with the remarkable result that it yields as much power, pound for
 pound, from peat as can be created o,t
 of the best coal This discovery has an
 enormous meaning for Germany. where
 there are not less than 5.0Oo0o0 acres of peat lands.