El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-03-08
NIGHT FLIER5
BRIGHTEN
ENGLAND
Government Takes Steps to
Shoot Those Who Persist
in Suspicious Flights.
RUMoR REVIVED OF
ASQUITH RESIGNING

- mental aviators would seem to be
flying trips by night over England.
Daring air pilots in Germany and
France leave their mornings at dusk,
speed over the channel, and then circle
over British cities and forts, flashing
their lights to myst.fy and alarm the
people below them. With the first in
olcatlOns Of dawn the adventure comes
10 an end. The prOwling birdman
heads for home, houses his machine be-
lore the sun IS well up, and leaves the
Officials Of England to report his in
cursion to the war office in London.
Reports of these night visits became
so general, and were at the same time
50 discOncerting. that the government
finally took official action and passed
bill prohibiting the passage of air
craft over certain specified areas. Air
craft violating this regulation viii be
fred on and otherwise warned away.
The bill was introduced into the house
Of commons by colonel Seeley, secre-
tary of war, and it passed through all
its stages at one sitting, without discus
sion It went TO the lords the day be-
lore recess. and passed that house Just
as hurriedly. How the measure is to
be enforced has aroused considerable
interested speculation.
The bill authorizes the proper Off
GERS after giving a prescribed warning,
TO fire at any aircraft infringing this
law, and to use any and every other
means to prevent infractiOns. The gov
eminent is providing SKY guns" to
repel these aerial trespassers. and II
viii also have the services Of the naval
aerOplanes and hydroplanes and the
flying fleet Of the army, Which Consists
OF about q. dozen aer0planes and three
small airships.
Experts have very grave doubts
whether these precautions will be suf-
ficient to prevent the midnight visits.
Colonel Seeiey, in introducing the bill,
said It was not aircraft belonging to
co. nr4u hat
at. but mischeviOus private persons,
possibly from over seas. VINO might
''hover over places where there are
combustible stores, to the great incon-
Venieuce of the people OF the country
Visits Cause Alarm.
What gave rise TO the action OF the
government were reliable reports, IN
some cases from army officers. that
aircraft had been seen over Dover.
Sheerness Portsmouth and Liverpool.
and on at least two occasions as Tar
west as Cardiff, always at night The
first visits were paid IN october and
they have continued up to the present
time At first there was an inclination
10 make light Of them. or to ascribe
the moving lights and the noise Of the
propeller to some airship privately
owned in England. But investigation
showed that this could not be, and now
the government places the blame on
privately owned foreign airshlps.
Some people, however, discard this
assumption. and declare that at least
one of the aerial visitors came from
Borkum. the German fortress nearest
the English coast. From BOrkum 1t
would be a very simple matter for
modern airship 70 pass over the North
sea and even. right across England as
in the case of the ship that flew over
Cardiff and be back at her base before
morning. Those who claim to have evil
dence that this flight was made from
Borkum go further and say that the
German government has several air
ships at Emden. and that when a flight
over England is projected one Of these
crafts is taken 10 Borkum and the start
made from there.
According to official returns Ger
many had u airships Of large dimen-
sions at the end Of 1872 and it is be-
lieved that she has added to~this num-
her since There are also 10 privately
owned airships in Germany. Against
these England has three airships OF
very small dimensions, and one large
airship now under construction in Ger
many. England has a greater number
OF aeroplanes than Germany, however,
and when a prospective battle IN the
air is discussed British officers argue
that an aeropIane, acting as a destroyer,
could very easily put a night-proWling
afrship out Of business
Suffrage Bill Planned.
Those Liberal members of the house
Of commons who support wOmen's SUI
frage have agreed upon a bill which will
he introduced at the next session OF
parlfament, but they have not been sue
cessfui in getting the UniOnists and
Tahorites who also believe IN giving
fbe vote to women, to act with them
In fact there is a very wide difference
Of opinion among the suffragists as to
how broadly the franchise should be
extended in the case Of women.
The bill of the Liberal sUffragists
would confer the parliamentary fran
cbise on ID women. whether married
or unmarried; VINO. II tney were men;
would be entitled to be registered and
70 vote in respect Of a household quail
fication; J. e., as Inhabitants or occu-
niers of dwelling houses; and % the
wives of such inhabitant Occupiers, re
siding on the same premises as their
husbands. The bill would restrict the
franchise to women over % years OF
age This bill would receive the sup
,Ort of those members Of the cabinet
Tho support the vote for women
NJ the other suffra gists in the house,
The Unionists would not 90 so lar as
the Liberals, and the Laoorltes would
% further. The former support what
e known as the Cancellation bill, which
confers the vote on women property
liners or women who occupy houses
s-6aDendeutly- The Labor party IS out
- edT1If suffrage for both men and
--onnen They point out that either OF
+be other bills would smut out thouS-
Us Of working girls and women who
-eefde with their parents, or AT any rate
1o--s No fndeDendent place of residence.
The Liberals intend to frame their
IN 81 that amendments can be intro
51ced. and the house given an oppor-
CcffT, OF deciding which, if any, form
- Suffrage they wish to extend to
women ~ ~ p.st,-,
IT, -enorf has again been revived
.7,a+ Mr.. Asouith is preparing to re-
ia i The membership and that before
So5g he will return to the house OF
1O-Sz There is no doubt that ne would
~ ~ -esign and get out Of the tur-
Iii of politics. but it is just as GER
Mn mat he will not give up. unless. OF
course. forced to do so, until the mons nome
- hin finally becomes law, winch
I[cen+ for accidents. it should do in
Nh M Asquith has pledged himself to
do his best to give ireland seII-so' e eI.ll
49, ~ - and. besides. he is anxious that
me- ,-s71e should be identified with the
lai1ccompIishment of this measure as MI
eeIo5etone's was with its advancement,
s5,o -,-on0sa1s of the Radical