The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-10-29
FRANCE SUPERIOR
 IN AIR CRAFT NAVY ff Her Cause of Confidence in War MOT QUITE FINISHED" Amusing Example of French Govern ment's Wastage, Great Build
 ing Erected and Never Used.
 "Grumbleometer" Latest
NOT QUITE FINISHED"
By PAUL VILLIERS

q ,nav he inc relative strength of the nav | ,ae of the world there is no question of | the great superiority of France in the | 4 roatter of air craft She not only has | { available for war purposes a great num- Der of aeroplanes, but by far the strong {; est corps of expert military aviators in : the world. If is on this superiority that France rests her supreme contidenc in her abil- ity to hold her own in any European K conflict which may arise. And she means to maintain her lead at any cost. f France also has gone far ahead in z rerfecting the aeroplane for military use. |
 Experiments with aeroplanes working | in conjunction with artillery have just i. been carried out with great success near IA Verden. Commanders of batteries who Ncould not locate the enemy owing to hills in front made signals to the aerial scouts lowering above them. The lat l ter swooped down and dropped written | descriptions and sketch maps of the po- i sition of the enemy's main body. The | f guns were thus enabled to open accu- rate fire on great bodies of troops com apetely invisible to the gunners. The commander-in-chief of the first army corps said to the gunners after Nthese experiments: Gentlemen, remem- | { her this date It marks the greatest | step forward in our artillery methods for many years"
 An armoured aeroplane has just been tested at the military camp at Chalons | IL is intended for service with the French | army, and has been very strongly built | From tip to tip of the wings it measures ! 60 feet, it's length is 36 feet and surface measurement 56 square yards. The pilot and his passenger are protect ed by an armoured turret which has 1 loop holes and spaces at the bottom en- | ahling the pilot to see his way. Though | the armour is only of aluminium, which | would not resist rifle bullet, it is con- sidered to afford relative protection to the avators and the motor.
 General Roques, chief of the Aeronau- | tical corps of the French army, made tour of inspection by air of a number Of army aviation centers near Paris. The | general flew in a biplane ploted by Cap- | tain Eteve to the Etampes military air. lmanship center. Captain Marie, acting | as guide to his chief, flew in another bi- | plane pioted by Lieutenant Cheutin. The two aeroplanes left St. Cyr at 5:455a. m., l landed at Etampes an hour later. Gen. | eral Rodues witnessed a number of l flights by army airmen, and finally made l tour of the environs of Etampes on a | Blerot monoplane.
 He expressed himself as highly pleased | with the state of efficiency of the corps. |
 Those Americans who grumble .at thesl wastage in certain of their public de- partments may find a little consola tion | in the fact that other countries are sim i.arly afflicted. An rnusng story has | just been told of how the French gov ernment erected a building at a cost of | $1,200,000 nine wears ago, and. after in- stallng a caretaker took no further steps | Ii1a Jao orr at Qc mot quite finisbed."
 In the year 1902 the government de- oided to create a special audit department and list of nominations to the various posts was drawneup. An aged reservist whose services to the country entitled him to fitting rewards was appointed | caretaker of a new building which was being erected for the department in the Rue Cambon.
 He was told to take charge at once. The building was not quite finished, but within a month or two everything would be in order and the members of the ministry would take up their duties there. A5s
 Proudly fthe reservist took up his quarters in the vast but unfinished pal ace. For days he walked through the immense building without seeing an other human being, but at last the | dispirited man began to beguile his II time by fearing a new variation of his fdVOr1te game or patience.
 Fortunately, for the caretaker, he | had taken the precaution to bring with II him to the empty building kitten and a canary. For two years he saw no | one and heard nothing, although he re- ceived his monthly salary with mill tary punctuality. In 1905 the archi- II tect rushed in and breathlessly re- marked that little furniture would be brought into the building, and it would then immediately become a. busy hive. II
 The kitten had become a grey haired and tired looking cat when, in 1909, II the caretaker wearied by the strain of waiting, complained to the department al heads. He was soothed by a prom ise that everything would soon be right.
 Finally even the patience of the long II suffering caretaker came to an end, for II last week he resigned his position. Tho II empty palace in the Rue Cambon. which was erected at a cost of $1,200,000 is still awaiting one or two slight alter Rtions.
 An old French woman died in Melun | the other day in remarkable circum stances. Two soldiers had been billetted II at her house. When they entered, she shrieked War has been declared and dropped dead.
 "The Grunmble- -ometor' is the latest device for keeping cheerful It is the Evention of M Emil Deutsch de la s-S1-the, and consists in list of all the evils which might conceivably be- fall an ordinary person.
 To obtain relief from life's little wor- ries and over -indulgecne in one's own pet grievances one has to pull out the II list and consult it. Reflection upon the horrors that might have befallen is guaranteed to restore the patients eQuanimity.
 A French journal has started com petition to discover the 12 worries | which it's readers judge to be the most | veXatious in life. The winning list | starts with the death of dear ones, and goes on through unhappy marriage treachery of friends illness, money worries, dishonor paternal cares, dis appointments, wounded pride family uuarrels and servitude to Indigestion which closes the list.
 The Japanese government is negoti- ating with French firms for the pur- chase of a gigantic airshp. The par tcular airship the Japanese have in view is one that can fly at a rate of over 60 miles an hour in calm weather and carry 20 passengers and supply | of bombs and hand grenades. |;
 The suggestion of French judge, who presided at breach of promise suit has aroused interest The SuggeS-