The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-21
LEAP YEAR ID MEAN MUCH FOR WOMEN National League Opposes
 Woman's Suffrage TO LINK RAILROADS Lines of Russia and India to Be Joined In Crossing Persia-War Office
 Offering Prizes for Aero
 plane Inventions
Fly PHILLIP EVERETT

London, January 20.--(Special.) )--Leap
 Year 1el2, is expected to become historic
 in the annals of woman's fight for the
 vote The clash of oratory will begin in
 earnest next month, and the suffrage and
 anti-suffrage societies in view of the
 strong lead given to the two campaigns
 by Lloyd George and Sir Edward Grey at
 the Women's Liberal Federation meeting
 and by Mir. Asquith in his reception of
 deputation at the house of commons-are
 preparing for an encounter which most ofl those concerned think will be decisive The division of opinion upon this aues- ton in the cabinet makes the situation particularly interesting; but seeing that
 the majority of members of the house
 of commons have expressed themselves in
 favor of votes for women, and that the
 prime minister has intlmated that if the house passes an amendment on the sub- ject 1t may become part of the govern
 ment's reform bill, suffragists feel they | have good reason for their optimistic out | look.
 Tremendous efforts are to be put for ward. however. by the National League for Opposing Women's Suffrage The cam paign opens seriously at Bristol on Feb ruary 16. when Lord Cromer is announced to preside over big gathering. which
 will be addressed by Mrs. Humphry Ward, Mir. c. D. Hobhouse, M. P, and the others.
 The Albert Hall is to be the scene of two
 great gatherings-one on each side-next
 month, MT. Lloyd George will speak there
 in favor of votes for women on February
 23. and liberal ministers whose names
 were not definitely available today. but
 who were understood to include Lord
 L,oreburn and MT. Harcourt, were fore
 shadowed as speakers against the suffrage
 at another in the Albert Hall on Febru-
 ary 2S.
 The Women's Social and Political union is pursuing its militant policy, declining
 to accept anything short of an immediate government measure. The Women's 8 Free dom league, on the other hand, is "hold- ing militancy in reserve for the present and last night opened its annual confer ence at Caxton Hall. At tonight's meet ings at the same place the programme or the league will be fixed and minimum de- mands will be adopted.
 It is now definitely settled that the rail
  up by new railroad across Persia, all financial details in regard to the raising of capital having been arranged between | English, French and Russian banks a I few weeks ago
 l This is the result of the efforts of the | powerful Russian committee formed in | 1910, consisting of 20 members of the high
 est standing, representing political, finan-
 cial and commercial interests. Latterly
 an impotant group of English supporters of the scheme has been formed in Lon | don, and, with the assistance of that group 1t has been ascertaned that the | British government is prepared to join with the Russian government in forward 1 ing the proposal with the Persian gov | ernment. if satisfactory terms, route. etc. are agreed upon, and after further nves- l tigation the scheme is held to be practi- l cable
 From the inception of the project the | Russian banks were prepared to find no, only the money for the preliminary stages, l but also, if required, the bulk of the en- tire capital. For political reasons how l ever, 1t was thought we'll that the project should be internationally financed. When
 the Russian scheme was first explained In London 12 months ago, British flnanciers regarded it somewhat coldly, but during the last few weeks their attitude has un- dergone change. and at the present par ticipation in the preliminary expenses Of the proposed railroad. These will amount to s500,000. the sum required for the form alton of a Societe d Etudes. whose func- ton 1t will be to obtain the necessary con cession from Persia.
 The first and chief object of the Socie,e d Etudes will be to determine definitely the alignment of the line and 10 make final survey of it. The Russian com
 mittee is already in possession of a nearly complete survey of more than 300 miles, from Astara to Teheran. From there 70 Guettar the length of the line is some l20o miles.
 The next task of the Societe d'Etudes will be to examine the financial prospects
 of the proposed line. The Russian com mittee have made a very careful prelm- mary study that question. In that study they have taken no account of the expansion of the trade which is certain to follow the construction of the lire, but have based their calculation only on the existing trade of Persia with neighhoring countries, the trade of India and Ceylon with Russia. and passenger and mall traffic between Europe and India. The results of this investigation are encour- aging and there is no doubt that the line will be able to pay it's own. way. The chief difficulty lies in gaugng accurate ly the possibilities of line which will be the only overland communication between Europe on the one hand, with it's 259, ,Oo0OO0 l population, and India, Indo-China, Aus tralia and New Zealand on the the other hand, with their 100000 000 population. q line which will considerably shorten tho time required for travelling from England to any of it's dependencies and dominions
 in Asia.
 While no direct communication has yet been made to the Persian government, it 1
 is understood that certain informal steps have been taken through the Russian min ister al Teheran, and through the Persian
 ministers in St. Petersburg and Paris. and although nothing like definite assur-
 ances have yet been given, the promoters have been led to believe that Persia, when approached will not be unfavorable % the scheme and soon as the Societe I Etudes has been formed. which. if ia
 hoped, will be within the next few weeks. Persia will be asked for permission to make the necessary further surveys and a concession applied for.
 Although the war office Is offerinn prizes to civilian firms for types of aeroplanss fitted to military requirements. 1t must not be supposed that the experts of the army aircraft factory are sitting still. On the contrary. during the past week il bipIane has been turned out from the Farnborough works and tested across the adjacent country. If not the last word in army aeroplanes. it is at all events. the best of it's kind that so far has been | tried by military pilots
 Except for the whistle of the wind ! through the radiators, the bipane is noise i