The chronicle=news., 1913-03-08

atoTs would xeem to be Tying tfips
by night over England. Daring air
pilots In Germany or France leave
their mOorings at dusk. speed over
the Channel. and then circle over the
British cities and forts. flashing their
lixflts to mystify and alarm the poo.
pie below them. with the first indi-
cations OF dawn the adventure comes
to an cnd. The prowling birdman
heads for home. houses his machine
before the sun Is well up. and leaves
the officials Of England Ia report his
Incursion to the War office in Lon
don.
Reports of ilies. Night visits be-
came so general and were a' the
same time 50 d!scouccriInS. that the
government finally took official ac-
tion and passed u bill prohibiting the
passage OF aircraft over certain spcci-
fled areas. AIrcrni, violating this
regulation viii be fired on and other
wise warned away. The bill was IN
troduced Into the House OF Commons
by Colonel Seelcy, Secretary Of war.
and II passed through all Its stages
at one sitting. without discussion. IL
went to the Lords the day before re-
cess. and passed that House Just as
h,frricdly. How I'll. measure II 10
be enforced has aroused considerable
Interested speculation. The bili au-
thorIze> the proper Officers. after xiv
ing II prescribed warning. To fire at
any aircraft infringing this Law. and
TO Nse amy aud every other means 10
prevent infractiOns The govern
ment i providing sky guns to re-
pei these aerial treSpnsseS. ana II
will also have the services ~ the ma
vni n.ropisn.s, and liydrqplancs Hnd
the flying fled, Of the army. which
consists OF about . dozen acrcplanes
aud three s,naH aIrh!ps.,
Experts have gerry grave aohbts
whether these precautions will be >uf-
ficIent to prevent the midnight visits.
Colonel sccIcy. In Introducing the
bill, said Il wns no; aircraft belong
Ing to foreign governments that were
aimed ut. but mi.ch!cvous private
persons, possibly from o,er->cae. who
nigh, ''fov"r over places where there
are combustibic stores. 10 the great
What gave rl.c ty the action of
the government were reliable rrror'-.
In some Instances from army Officers.
that alrcrnf; had hc.n seen over
Dover. Shccrncss. Portsmouth. and
Liverpool. aud ON n, least two occas-
tons as far wc.; 'as Cardiff. always
at night. The f,fs, visit. were paid
In October and they have continued
up to the pr..cn; time. NJ first
there was mn inclination to make
light Of them. or TO ascfibc the NOV
Ing lights and the, noise OF the pro-
pelier to some airship privately
owned In England. But investixa-
ton showed THAI ials could not be.
and nov the goeeenmcnr places the
blame on privateiy owned foreign
nlrships.
Some pc 1pie. however. discard this
assumption. and declare that at least
one Of the acrlal visitors came from
BOrkum. the German fortress nearest
the English coast =, From Dokrmm 1t
would be- /. very Jmplc matter for n
modern airship 10 pass over the
North Sea and even right across En-
gland. as In the ease OF the ship that
flew over Cardiff. and be back at her
base before morning. Those VINO
claim to have evidenced that this
flight was made from Bokrum 60
further und say that the German gov-
crnmcn, has several airships at En-
den. and that when u flight over
England Is projected one OF these
crafts is taken to Bokrum and the
star, made from there.
According to official returns Ger
many had IL airships Of large dimen-
sions at the end Of 1919. and II is
believed that She has added to this
number since. There are also 10 pri-
vatcly owned airships In Germany.
Against these England hus three air
ships OF very small dimensions. and
one large airship now under con-
struction in Germany. England has
greater number Of aeroplancs than
Germany. however. and when pros
pectivc battle In tine air is discussed
British officers argue that an aero
plane. acting a. II destroyer. could
very easily pu, night-prowling air
ship out OF business.
Those Liberal members of the
House Of Commons who support We
mems Suffrage have agreed upon a
bill which will be INTRODUCED ut the
next session OF Parliament. but they
have not been successful in getting
the Cnionists and L.abofltes. who also
believe In giving the vote to women.
to act with them. In fact there is
very wide difference of opinion
among the suffragists as to how
broadly the franchise should be en-
tended In the case OF women.
| The bill of the Liberal suffrasists
would confer the parliamentary fran
chise on t1D women. whether mar
ried or unmarried. who, u they were
nen. would be entitled to be regis.
tered and to vote in respect Of q
household qualification: i,.e.: as in
habitants or occupicrs OF DWELLING
houses: and ,2N the wivcs OF such
inhabitant occupicrs. residing on The
same premises as their husbands
/ The bill would restrict, the franchise
to women over - years, OF age; Ihis