The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-30

TN H. c. Wells book, "The War in the
 Air." is contained a prophecy of the
 destruction of civilization through strife such as that raging in Europe. But in this remarkable tissue of scientific imagination it Is America that is first assailed by the Germans. Prince Karl Albert. of Germany, dreams of world rulership and attacks New York with fleet of gigantic dirigibles. New York is destroyed, but the Americans in aeroplanes battle with the invading fleet. A storm arises and scatters the combatants. The Prince is marooned for time in Lab. rador. while his airship is repaired
 During this time the fire of a worldwide conflict begins to rage, confagration that has been set going by the Germans invasion of the United States. The Chinese and Japanese, in hordes of superior flying ma. chimes, swarm over the world carrying death and destruction. Every nation Is at each others throat. Credit dies, business Is wiped out-all the fabric of our civilization is torn to shreds Humanity-what there Is left of it-at least resolves itself into little communities fighting fercely for existence There are nosmore nations-the hands of time are moved back to conditions that pre-. vailed before the cave men even.
 The story centres around the adventures Of little English cockney, Bert Smaliways who Ia carried by fate through the strife from the time of the destruction of New York to the final stages of civilizations diaintegration.
 The prophecy of the end is contained in the Gpilogue of the book in which Tom Snaliways. Berts uncle, tells his grand nephew of the past:
 Al round ere, Teddy there was people living n those 'ouses, and up the road more ouSes end more people. You'd 'ardiy be- ieve ne. Teddy, but it's Bible truth You can 20 on that way for ever and ever, and keep ou coming on 'ouses, more ouses and more. There's no end to em No end They get bigger and bigger" His voice dropped as though he named strange names. "lt'a London" he said.
 And it's all empty now and left alone All day it's left alone. You don't find 'ardly man, you won't find nothing but dogs and cats after the rats until you get round by Bromley and Beckenham, and there you find tho kentish men herding swine. (RJice rough lot they are, tooD I tell you that so long as the sun is up it's as still as the grave. been about by day-orfen and orfen." He paused.
 And all those 'ouses and streets and "e'S uoco to pC iuii ol peOple U6lOT6 lUo War in the Air and the Famine and the Purple Death. They used to be full of peo- pie, Teddy, and then came time when they was full of corpses, when you couldn't go mile that way before the stink of 'em drove you back. It was the Purple Death ad killed 'em every one. The cats and dogs and ems and vermin caught it. Every- thing and every one 'ad it. Jest few of us 'appened to live. I pulled through, and your aunt, though it made er lose Ter air. Why, you find the skeletons in the 'ouses now. This way we been into all the 'ouses and took what we wanted and buried moro or the people, but up that way, Norwood way, there's 'ouses with the glass in the windows still, and the furniture not touched all dusty and falling to pieces-and the bones of the people lying some in bed, some about the 'ouses, jest as the Purple Death iett em hve-and-twenty years ago."
 But what killed all the people. uncle?" asked Teddy
 It was smash-up," said old Tom. Everything was going right until they started that war. Everything was going like clock-work. Everybody was busy and every oody was appy and everybody got a good square meal every day"
 But 'ow did the people get killeds" said tue ltte boy in the pause.
 I'm tellin' you, Teddy said the old man. It was the stoppin' of business come nex'