The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-29


 j. death of First Lieutenant I'm melmann, one of Germany's mos famous airmen, are related in letter from an eyewitness.
 The airman's last battle began about g o'clock at night. Three aero. planes were engaged, two fokkers and
 three biplanes Immelmann's Death of the allies Outrivals Fiction The struggle.
 thousands ot feet in the air, was watched with breathless excitement by the troops below. Ten years ago if writer of fiction had ventured to describe a fight like this one it would have seemed the widest improbability, but the airmen of Europe have long since surpassed in real achievements the works of fiction writers.
 With almost incredible swiftness and precision the aeroplanes circled and swooped down upon each other, keeping up all the time an incessant rattle of machine guns. After his ma chine was badly damaged Immelmann was seen trying to right it, but finally the tail falls, then one of the wings, and having turned completely over, the fokker drops swiftly to earth, plunging six thousand feet and bury ing the lieutenant beneath it's ruins.
 The Pour le Merite decoration, the Iron Cross he wore and "MI" on his shirt identified the .mangled Immel- mann to the soldiers who found him. He is credited with having destroyed fifteen enemy aeroplanes. A hand some, dashing fellow, and unspoiled by his fame, his modesty and daring won him universal admiration.
 
 1rAJ. GEN. LEONARD WOOD, lvl like most of the other officers of the regular army, has long seen the need of military preparedness, but that is no reason why he should give
 out statements This Is No Time for at this time Woods Criticism stressing the
 government S lack of preparedness for properly equipping the National Guard.
 General Wood is held in great es- teem as soldier, and that he has ad- ministrative ability of high order is readily admitted in army circles. He served four years as chief of staff, and much of the efficiency of the reg ular establishment today is due to his initiative and his untiring efforts. But it does no good to harp on the governments shortcomings in re- spect of National Guard equipment for war.
 For the guardsmen themselves the general has unbounded admiration. The alacrity with whcih they respond ed to President Wilson's call to arms offers ample proof of their patriotism and their fine soldierly spirit. But General Wood deplored the fact that supplies were wanting when mobiliza- ton began. The lack of horses and mules for the National Guard, espe- cially cavalry mounts, has caused much delay in the matter of mobiliza- ton on the Mexican border. President Wilson has been pushing his prepard- ness programme for more than year and Congress has been supporting him Loyalty in his military policy.
 The work of strengthening the na- tional defense should have been started years ago, say in Roosevelt's administration. But it required Flu rope's titanic war to stir this country and cause the government to realize the necessity of enlarging and mod ernizing the army and navy. Decided headway has been made, but General Wood was expecting too much when he got it into his head that plans for bringing the National Guard up to a regular army standard now being worked out in Washington, could be perfected by this time.
 Even with many hitches that Gen.