The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-03-25

racy of the gun.
 Paris by long distance guns shall
 not interrupt the normal life of
 the capital. but that the popuIa-
 tion shall be warned of n lombard
 ment by distinctive means, differ-
 ing from the usual warnings sent
 out in cases of air raids. Drums
 will be beaten and the police will
 sound whistles. The public serv-
 ices, the trains in the subways,
 the tramways and the automobile
 busses will continue to be Oper-
 ated normally. The new warning
 fs to be known warning No. 3.
 It will mean that any formation
 Of crowds in the streets is prohib-
 ited and that all shelters, except
 the subway stations, will be open.
 The end of any kind of raid
 will be announced as before by a
 special trumpet call and the ring
 ing of church bells.
 PRESS COMMENT
 The comment of the French pres this morning was about evenly divided between the big gun which is lombard ing the city from back of the German lines and the terrific battle raging or the British front. The tone of the com ment on the bombardment was of as at the feasibility of tn, performance. As to the battle, a favor able ending of it is confidently ex pected.
 The newspapers do not conceal tnei for the mechanical feat O the Germans in constructing their new wdRpon, but speak passionately of tn, useless barbarity of the bombardment
 VICTIMS ARE FEW
 The Matin says it is consoiing to not, that the number of victims is small but it asks for reprisals on German cities.
 Prof. Paul Painleve, former premie and president of the Academy of Sci ences, told the Excelsior that by uslnf in the fabrication of the projec tile the tungsten shells would be of abou half the diameter of steel shells of ar even weight, and that, therefore tn, atmospheric resistance would be less this accounting for the extremely l,n. range. He also touched upon the pos sibility of propeller being employed on the projectile.
 GUN NOT PRACTICAL
 Alfred Capus. in the Figaro allude, fn ma nf mechanical feat. but points out that a! a military factor the weapon is entire ly inefficacious. The Petit Parisienn. comments on the bombardment as al extremely minor incident as compared with the gigantic battle in progress or the British front.
 Le Petit Journal says that Jule, Verne had foreseen this gun, and it de clares, moreover, that it is a Frenci invention. More than year ago." i adds, we discovered the secret of fir ing our cannon more than 100 xilo metres. The secret lies in the greate suppression of the atmospheric condi tions.'
 The Echo de Paris declares the bonn bardment is designed to give the i'm pression that Paris Is within the rang, of the German guns. It is a politica cannon, the newspaper says.
 CLEMENCEAU CONFIDENT
 Premier Clemenceau's L'Homme Libr asserts that the password of the ,hou is ''confidence"
 Germany" 1t declares "has wishe, to make it a complete offensive on al fronts, the land, water and air fronts as we'll as the front of the rear w are facing an enemy who wishes to en, it as soon as possible. That suits us Every shell that falls into Paris drive deeper into us the confidence in al ultimate victory.
 The newspaper Le Journal says tn gun is of 240 millimetres calibre an, of Austrian manufacture. It is a yer. delicate piece of machinery. which mus be handled by expert mathematician and gunners, the newspaper adds, a the loading and pointing is a difficul task. It declares each shot costs abou $4o0o. This is a new conception of ou enemies" the newspaper comments
 NO EXPERT COMMENT last night to commit themselves as t the shell was a sort of aeria torpedo driven by propellers. whetne original shell is released by an exrio diva nfter shell has traveled q certafl