The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-06-23
IRONCLAD ALLIANCE
IS NOT LOOKED FOR
Close Relations With France
Not Attractive
NAVY OF AEROPLANES
Claim Aerial Bases Planned-To Visit
Easter Island-King of Spain
May Enter Races at
Cowes
az PHILLIP EVERETT


London. june. 2;-(special)-1t is pretty
safe to prophecy that the present entente
cordiale between England and France
will not be transformed into an ironclad
alliance, In spite Of the fact that the
unionist party will undoubtedly refuse to
be discouraged by the sad fate of their
first attempt to boom the proposal
through the lingo press. For years
considerable part of the unionist party
political working capital has consisted
in the fear of Germany, created In the
minds of large part of the British peo-
pie by a long sequence of "scares." con-
cocted by the sensational press. The eff
forts of the present liberal government to
bring about a friendly understanding
with Germany, which have not been
without success. have naturally been a
thorn in the flesh of the tories. who saw
dire prospect of one of their most eff
fective electioneering weapons being
blunted and 50 the cry for an alliance to
supplant the entente was raised,
strengthened, of course, by the press of
France which country could only be ben
Gifted by the change.
be rushed and the deeper they looked into
the suggestion the less attractive 1t APP
peared, even to the warmest admirers
of France in England.
1t became clear thar one of the first
demands that an allied France could
make would be for the Introduction of
general conscription7 in England, and not
even the always popular Lord Roberts
has been able to make the people of
England take kindly to the idea of an
expensive standing army, which is sure
to cost Millions to rob all young men
of some of their most useful years and
which would be of use only in the ex-
ceedingly unlikely case of a successful
attempt at an invasion. To France, on
the other side, the existence of a great
English conscript army. would be of the
greatest value at a time when the French
military authorities are we'll aware that
before six months are over they will be
compelled to look up about 100000 troops
in Morocco, just when Germany is plan
ming to increase her already overwhem-
ingly strong army.
For many other reasons an alliance
would greatly benefit France. but no one
has yet been able to show that it would
give England any advantage she does not
already possess. The plans of an al
lance are a revival of the old policy of
the isolation of Germany which haunts
certain elements in the French and
English foreign offices, with an intensity
the greater for the previous failures to
accomplish 1t.
A friendly understanding with Ger
many, which is certainly within range of
possibility, appeals much more to the
English people, and things will have to
change very much before the plan of a
formal France-British alliance will have
any chance of success.
A chain of naval aeroplane bases. ex-
tending from Dover along the east coast
as far the Orkneys, has been planned
by the admiralty as a sequel to the prac-
teal demonstration at Weymouth of the
usefulness for scouting purposes of the
hydro-aeroplane
The development of the scheme has al
ready been begun. At Dover the Naval
Flying school has the use of the local
flying ground, and the naval airmen at
Easteburch lose no opportunity of ac-
quainting themselves with the bird s-eye
aspect of the great national harbor
In the back waters of the Midway. at
Stangate creek, an aeroplane depot, with
facilities for launching hydro-aeroplanes
from Burntwick Island. upon which a
number of hangers have been erected,
has already been formeU as an auxiliary
the new school at Eastchurch.
The latest development of the scheme
is the selection of a site at Harwich for
an aeroplane station. Distinguished naval
aviators have already paid visits to Har-
witch to advise the admiralty on the best
site for the new depot.
At Eastchurch number of machines
are being built designed for naval scout
ing purposes. One of these machines
known as T 8, has already passed the
acceptance tests, and 1t is understood
will be flown to Harwich In a very near
future.
A further accession to the strength OF
the naval branch of the Royal Air Corps
will be made by the arrived of the Eft
trich monoplane at Eastchurch, where it
will be piloted by Lieut.. Reginald Greg
ory who conducted the bomb dropping
evolutions before the King at Wey-
mouth.
Easter Island, one of the wonders of the
world. is to be visited by a British ex-
petition headed by Mr.. z. w. Scoresby
Routledge. NJ. A. The expedition is to
travel in a specially constructed vessel
which has just been launched at Wits
table and named the Mana Polynesian
for good luck"
yacht, and she will carry, In addition to
Mr.. Routledge, a geologist a scientist
connected with the Brush museum, and
navigation officer with a crew of a.
She will sail at the beginning Of August
The objection of the expedition is an
investigation of the meaning and origin
of the gigantic prehistoric remains on
the island, which is the most eastern of
the Polynesians. and is some 1000 miles
from the coast of South America
Immense platforms. formed of stones
fitted together with cement, have been
erected on the island facing the sea.
Some of the stones weigh five tons and in
places these mysterious sea walls are 30
feet high and 200 feet long.
On the land side of these platforms
there are broad terraces, also of stone,
bearing the pedestals on which stood
huge figures carved out of lava from an
extinct crater eight miles away Most
of these images have been thrown down,
but there are 300 of them in the As square
miles of the island. The figures extend
down to the hips, and the faces repre-
sent a receding forehead. a broad adz-like
nose thin lips and a powerful chin.
One OF the smaller statues of Easter
Islands feet Nights now in the British
museum, having been brought back by
his majesty's steamship Topaze. which
visited the island in 1865.
No metal is found In the island and
the only ancient tool found is a stone
chisel. with which II would have been i'm
possible to execute such colossal works.
To drag the statues from the crater
workshops over hill and dale to the plat
forms must have required a far larger