The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-30
AN ACUTE CASE OF
A|RSH|P|T|S OVER
Remains of Fire Balloon
Found in Yorkshire
MYSTERIOUS LIGHTS
Towns on East Coast Were in Fever
of citement-Germany Enjoys
Huge Joke-Mrs. West Writes
Political Play

London, March 22.-The discovery by
gamekeeper on lonely Yorkshire moor
of the remains of fire balloon has end
ed one of the most acute attacks of
"airshipitis'' from which England has
suffered since the jingoes began to dis
cuss the danger of an airship attack by
Germany.
For several weeks towns on the east
coast have been in a fever of excite
ment over the reports of mysterious
lights said to have been seen lowering
over them. 1t is now believed that the
reputed alrships have all been heat bal
looms sent up by practical iokers. The
evening star, unusually prominent for
some time past on account Of notable
lack of fog, also shares the blame, and
Venus was responsible for breaking up
a meeting of the West Hartlepool cor
poration finance committee.
The committee was busy with the an
nual estimates when a member entered
in a suppressed state of excitement and,
whispering to two or three of his col
leagues. took them outside. Other mem
bers soon followed. The cause of the ex-
odus declared that the bright light over
head was an airship, and he asserted
that he could even see its outlines. After
lengthy and heated argument it was
decided that the fearsome light was
Venus a star seldom seen in that fog
enshrouded town.
In the meantime Germany is enjoying
the joke hugely and England is rapidly
losing its reputation as the most stolid
nation.
Mrs. CORVALLIS West. who was Miss
Jennie Jerome of New York, may be
counted upon to give British society
some new product of her enterprise and
versatility every year. The newest is to
be a political play from her pen entitled
Father and Son. Since Mrs Vests
first English husband was a prominent
statesman and cabinet minister, Lord
Randolph Churchill and her son Win
ston Churchill is first lord of the admi-
ralty in the present cabinet, the public
naturally is curious to see whether, and
how far, the drama may reflect the ex
perence of her own family.
Apparently it may be counted upon to
do this to some extent. The Father"
of the play is a cabinet minister In a
liberal government, and the ''Son' is a
conservative member of parliament. The
play is to have its first production this
month by the Repertory theatre of Glas-
gov. Gossip has it that the Right Hon.
Winston Churchill is greatly annoyed by
the launching of this proposed EXPOSE
ton of British politics, and is attempting
to dissuade his mother from lending her
| name to it.
The decision of the Benedietines of
Caldy Island, off the coast of Wales to
withdraw from the Church of England
and seek union with the Order of St.
Benedict, deprives the established church
of its most prominent experiment in mon
asticism
About 30 years ago medical student,
who had not vet qualified for his pro-
fession, lived on the Isle of Dogs and did
church work there. He finally decided
that he would rather be a monk than
physician. and lie gathered about him a
number of youths who sympathized with
his aspiration, Presently they arbitrarily
decided to call themselves "Benedic-
tines" but did not receive any sanction
| from the order. Disregarding this detail
| they banded themselves together under
| the Benedictine rules of life and wore
| the habit of the order.
| For some years this religious commu-
nifty went on without much public notice
| until the religious world was startled to
learn that Archbishop Temple, the aged
head of the English church. had given
| the monks charter signed and sealed,
| recognizing them as English Benedic-
tines and authorizing them to elect an
abbot.
| The former medical student was elected
with the title of Father Aeldred, Abbot
of Painsthorpe, a place in Yorkshire to
which they had removed from the Isle
| OF Dogs. This place presently became