The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-01
Mans Lowest Achievement Use
of AerOpIanes in War.
Other Great Europeans Com
ment i'm Happier Mood.
TRIUMPH OVER TURKS SEEN
Noted Men Pleased at Result of
Balkan War.
Great Deeds of 1912 Discussed
by Europeans.

London, Jan What has been
mans highest achievement in the past
! year?
What may we confidently expect to
! be his greatest achievement in the COM
| ing year?
These questions put to leaders of
thought and persons foremost in vari-
Gus walks of life throughout Europt
have brought interesting replies. Among
the replies are the following:
Lord Wearsdale, one of England s
| leading art connoisSeurs, trustee of the
National Portrait gallery and president
of the Inter-Parliamentary union
writes:
"A century of peace between Eng
lish speaking races is no mean rec
ord May the new century now open
ing witness an even more compre-
hensive maintenance of international
concord inspired by the example of
Great Britain and the United States
of America is my message from the
old world to the new"
Sir Gilbert Parker writes: MANS
highest achievement in the year 1912
is the localization of a Balkan war
which, had it occurred 20 years ago,
would have been an European con-
f1agration, not Balkan blaze With
slow but steady steps civilization is
narrowing the danger zone of warfare.
The year 1872 saw Great Britain and
the United States locked in deadly
conflict; 1912 finds them after a hun
dred years with locked arms of un-
derstanding.'
Hopes for Understanding.
Graham Moffat, playwright and au-
thor of "Bunty Pulls the Strings"
writes:
.I think that man has achieved
nothing in the past year which can be
weighed in the balance against the
sorrows of the war in Turkey To my
mind the achievement most to be
hoped for in the year to come is an
international understanding that will
insure a lasting peace throughout the
world"
Max Ners1as1 writsss from Paris: 'eIn
my opinion the highest achievements
of man during the ending year were
European Turkey, Morocco and Libia
with Cyrenaica, and the passing of the
bill by both houses of the British par
Lament for the establishing of at
least the principle of a minimum sal
ary, which means an important step
toward social justice.
I'm the next year I hope to see the
president-elect. Mr.. Wilson, success
fully wreStle with the great trust pow
ers and begin to free the people of
America from their yoke"
Israel Zangwill, less hopeful, writes:
MANS highest achievement this
year cannot be a matter of opinion.
The aeroplane societies surely keep
their record of ascents. Mans lowest
achievement is also unquestionable-
the use of the aeroplane in war 1
have no hope that sufficient airmen
will be killed next year to save hu-
manity from this crowning horror"
A Christian Triumph.
Nine. Olga Novikoff, the Russian
political writer. says:
My opinion. is that the highest
achievement in the present year has
been the Balkan Christians victory
over their Mohammedan oppressors,
and that its guarantee by the great
powers is that which we may most
earnestly hope for in the year to
come. I beg to join in the seasons
greetings to the new world
Sir Hiram Maxim. inventor of the
gun which has probably killed more
human beings than any other war ma
chine of modern times, writes:
'The greatest achievement of last
year has without question been the
development of flying machines and
dirigible balloons. We have been seek
ing to master the air during many GEN.
turies and we have at last achieved
what was considered impossible for so
many years. What We are looking for
ward to at the present time lies in the
domain of chemistry. The development
OF internal combustion engines and
their extensive use throughout the
world has caused a demand for the
light grade of petroleum called petrol
in Europe, and gasoIene in the United
States.
There is a fair chance that during
next year the supply will be altogeth-
er inadequate for the demand There
is, however, an unlimited amount of
heavier grades known as paraffin
kerosine. etc The difference chemical
ly between heavy and light grade is
not in their constituent parts but in the
arrangement of molecules and it is
earnestly hoped that some chemist will
discover some means of arranging these
molecules so as to convert the heavier
grades which are practically nom
volatile into the light grades which are
volatile