Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-09-11
GATHERED BY THE wAYs1DE

the destruction Of German aeroplanes
by French scouts Of the air for the
first four months OF the war. and this
showed to the credit of the French
destruction OF sixty-seven machines
with 13l airmen OF the enemy. The
air fighting has continued ever since.
A great change has been made in the
French and German specifications. The
monoplanes have all been discarded
and the Wright type Of biplane
adopted. The speed scouts are driven
at the rate of 100 miles an hour. The
iis nting craft, or ''pusners, carry rapid
fire guns or field pieces. The French
have put out machine with a zoo
horse power engine. to go eighty-five
miles an hour, to carry four men be-
sides the pilot, and with a six FOUNDER
cannon throwing high explosive
shell. The "bombardiers" carry bombs.
the smaller ones of twenty-five pounds
each. and others OF ninety-two pounds
each. Some OF the bombs carried
weigh 22o pounds each France started
off with 74s aeroplanes at the begin
ming OF the war and Germany over
700. Neither nation probably now has
more than that number: but they are
building them rapidly. Many were dis
carded and others destroyed. But 1t Is
significant that all the fighting peoples
have come to adopt the American pat
tern for air. craft. The aeroplane Is
no longer an experiment as an army
adjunct The Iowa National guard
ought to be the first state organization
to demonstrate how the machines can
be utilized And Iowa has. at Grin
nell, factory for making air craft.
A Des Moines financial institution Is
making feature In an advertisement
Of the statement that the late ]. p.
Morgan left ftt his VIII only two out
right gifts and all the rest in trust for
the benefit of his heirs. with sugges-
ton that this Is the right way for all
rich people to do. The ad has pro-
voked some adverse criticism. 1t Is
suggestion that big estates should
never be broken up, or not be per-
mitted- 60 get into such shape that they
may be broken up. 1owas richest
man, the idol of Dies Moines, long ago
trusteed his entire estate and is en-
gagged in assisting in administering II
himself, so that 1t will ne neld intact
for many years, or perhaps perpetu-
ally. The criticism Is that II that plan
II followed ny all. there will soon be
created class distinctions based on
wealth. and families will become in
ordlnately wealthy at the expense OF
the many not In the inner circle. The
legislature Of Iowa, however has In
dorsed this plan by providing that
banks may become trustees OF funds
and thus insure perpetual trustee
ship
Referring to the financial institu-
lions Of Iowa is reminder that the
federal government makes a serious at
tempt to secure from the private banks
OF Iowa each year some statement OF
their business done. but makes poor
out OF It, The state has threatened
to try 1t but has not done So The
largest number OF private banks that
reported to the comptroller Of the cur
rency any one recent year was 1879
but some years less than ninety, get
there are probably 900 private banks
One year they reported twenty-four
million dollars deposits. the next year
less than ten millions. The Character
Of the reports shows plainly that the
comptroller does not get any reliable
| statistics as to the operations OF the
private banks. Apparently their num-
Der has not increased in many years
but those reporting indicate big