The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-09-01
CHALLENGE FRENCH
SUPREMACY Of AIR
France Dislikes Germany's IN
crease in Aeroplanes
and Pilots.
EXPERTS NOT AGREED
German Flying Exploits Do
Not Command Serious At
tention of French.
EXPERTS NOT AGREED
BY GEORGE DUFREsNE.

~ S42SIsS1 LIZ IScoINGjs
Special Cable 10 The Tribune
PARIS, Aug. 81 There is a feel
ing abroad that Germany intends to
challenge frances supremacy of the
air, A note of alarm is from time to
time sounded in certain papers. 1t
is pointed out that Germany now pos
sesses PA aeroplanes, while according
to official information France has no
moro than $50. Germany has corps
Of 39l certiicated pilots
This number Is not disputed, but the
question is asked, How many Of these
officers can fly? In less than six
months more than 10000 miles have
been flown by $50 French military Of
6cers. GLOW many miles have been
flown by German officers during the
corresponding period?' asks La Vie au
Grand Air.
This journal considers that the ex-
periments in Germany with aeroplanes
which drop engines of destruction
have not been conclusive. AS to air
ships, the German vessels may be SUI
perlor TO French. This much is con-
ceded, but, say the French critics, IT,
is necessary to take accidents and the
wind into account, They do not be-
lieve that any Zeppelin airship would
have dared to go out at AnJou on the
day when Garros few over 900 miles
in tempest. For the rest French avi-
alton experts consider that there Is
! not the slightest need for alarm, since
as vet there have been no flying ex'
ploits In Germany TO command the SO"
rious attention of French pilots.
Idea Not Acceptable.
The idea of making up for the uu.
merical inferiority of the annual
French conscription contingent for the
army, as compared with that of Ger.
many, by drafting a corps of black
I troops drawn from French West Afrl-
ca into the continental forces, has long
been broacbed. 1t will not meet with
acceptance yet while.
| But every now and then the cam
paign in favor of the scheme is pushed
step forward. Thus the governor OF
French West Africa, having been asked
by the war Office for 5000 black troops
for Morocco, cabled within forty-eight
hours, undertaking to supply the re-
Quired contingent in six months time.
Organizing in Force.
On the other. hand permanent
force of native troops is being organ
lied in the colony, whence reinforce
ments can be drawn when wanted.
Today the Matin takes these arrange
ments as text TO argue In favor OF
the regular employment of black troops.
| By the new year France will bave
| $4,000 men OF the latter under arms.
BY 1914 the force will fall little short
of 10000. That is the strength of an
army corps, and ''France will thus
possess twenty-one instead of twenty
army corps.
This Twenty.frst army corps, if en-
rily be employed on the European con-
tiuent. Any schema for drafting IL
into Algeria, to- enable the French
troops stationed there to he available
| elsewhere, would arouse the Arab pop
ulation to revolt Will European opin-
ion ever stomach the employment OF
black troops in European wnrfare7 Per-
haps. if pressed by. superior numbers.
France would override European opin-
ion.
Celebrate Rousseau's Birth.
More than month ago was cele-
brated in Paris, not without several
| lively incidents, the bicentenary uf
Rousseau g birth. Now comes DR.. Ras-
pail with a new theory OF his death,
which has made some Republicans very
angry. One does not quite gee why.
| Rousseau, as will be remembered,
died at Ermenvile, in cottage grant
ed him by rich admirer, NJ. de Gl-
rardin There was some talk OF apop-
lexy. DR.. Raspail, after careful ex-
animation of the death mask taken by
Houdon, states it as his belief that
| Rousseau was murdered. He finds
three distinct wounds, one slight, at
the corner of the right eye; second,
| little deeper on the left cheek. near
the nostril, and third on the fore
head. which crushed the skull. rms
last wound, in the opinou Of Or: has'
pail, was sufficient to cause death.
Blunt Instrument Used.
These injuries he holds to have been
caused by blunt instrument. so the
hypothesis of suicide is impossible.
Rousseau, then, was murdered, but by
whom7 By Therese Levasseur, is the
answer of DR.. Raspail. That woman,
it will be remembered, was the mis-
tress and later, it is supposed, the vile
of Rousseau. She was with him at
Ermenville when he died, and it Is SAID
that he had for some time before sus"
pected her of too great fondness Tor
one of N. Girardin g grooms
May Not Agree.