Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-08
ROYAL SILVER GIFT
Future Soyereigns of Germany
to Receive Splendid Service.
PRESENT OF THE PEOPLE
Artisans Have Been Engaged Five
Years in Making It.
PIGEONS TO CARRY CAMERAS
Regarded as Valuable Adjunct to
German Army-Object to Rail-
road Ticket Tax.
PRESENT OF THE PEOPLE
PIGEONS TO CARRY CAMERAS
specisl cahl.Sram to tn. Sta,

Special Cahl-sram to The Star
BERLIN, July e.-The crown prince and
crown princess are about to receive a
truly magnificent wedding present 1t is
true that il reaches them about five years
after their marriage, but In point of
beauty and value the gift is said to be
one which any ordinary young couple
would be cheerfully willing to wait for.
1t is a massive silver table service for
use on state occasions. and comprises a
variety of decorative pieces. including
huge candelabra a meter high, heavy
punch bowls and a set of sculptured fig
ures representing the seasons.
The gift is presented by the cities of
Prussia. which ordered 1t at the time OF
the crown princes wedding. For five
years some Of the best artists. sculptors
and silversmiths of Germany have been
at work upon it and the individual pieces
when completed have been slowed away
in the vaults of the Reichsbank. The
service will be presented in August.
Pigeons as Photographers.
The Germans have conceived new
idea of obtaining information which can
not be supplied by human agencies. They
are training pigeons as photographers.
The inventor of the pigeon photogra-
pher is DIR. Neubrovner. who, occupying
a villa some distance from the sana-
forum of which he had charge. thought
of establishing a pigeon post between the
two places. He found that some of the
birds played truant and made up his
mind to know where they went.
He had small cameras made. which ne
fixed on the birds breast with braces.
These were passed under the wings and
huckled on the back. He invented an
apparatus by which pigeons flying at the
rate of sixty-three miles an hour can
take eight photographs during this period
without knowing it,
The first results were mediocre. Those
pigeons which were badly trained revolt
ed against the cameras The pictures
obtained were so much blurred that they
furnished no information. DIR. Neu-
brovner renewed his experiments and has
obtained better results.
A humorist suggests that all that is
now necessary is to put uniforms on the
pigeons and enroll them in the German
army. The Germans have great faith IN
their pigeon scouts" believing that In
a future war they will be able to bring
back photographs of an enemy's position
Unable to Check Divorces.
Divorce cases having increased In Ba-
varia, which is Catholic country. an
official order was promulgated some
months ago to the effect that whenever
citations are applied for in the divorce
courts the priests of the parish in which
the parties are living shall be informed
Of the differences between the parties In
order that they may bring their pastoral
influence to bear In bringing about
The latest statistics show that the new
order has had no appreciable effect In
checking the rapid increase in the num-
Der of cases brought before the courts.
Forty Years in Asylum.
The Jubilee Of the aged Prince Luit-
pod regent of Bavaria, has again re-
minded Bavarians, while doing all honor
to their ruler, that for the last quarter
Of a century they have been reigned over.
though not governed. by mailman. For
King Otto. nephew Of the regent. Is still
king in right and title. though for almost
forty years the inmate of an asylum. Jul
dicial decisions are pronounced in his
name the coinage OF the kingdom bears
his efigy. and as the day comes round
each year official buildings in Munich and
all considerable Bavarian towns are be-
tagged In honor of his birth.
Prince Luitpold, the regent. has just
passed his ninetieth year, and the nat
ural question Is now being discussed
whether the time has not come for per-
manently altering the succession or fer
mally dethroning the longtime insane
holder of the scepter. The question is
the more pertinent inasmuch as the I'M
fortunate King Otto is physically strong
his lifelong incarcera
ton and may live FOR years. seated as
he is wont, within four walls. surround
ed with all the semblances OF royalty.
but ever gazing vacantly before him into
space.
Revolt Against Tax.
Germans are undoubtedly a tax-rdden
people, and as a rule they submit meek