The sun., 1919-03-23
By RUSSELL d. OWEN.

MI account Of sduel in which
he acted as second, thought
when 10 proposed axes or gatling guns
at forty PAGES that he was suggesting
means by which a reflection on a gem
tleman's honor might be most thor
oughiy effaccd. His disgust was great
when there was substituted pistols. one
Of which he hung on his watch chain,
and he remarked that when he fell,
crushed beneath his fainting principal,
he acquired the distinction of having
been tho first man injured In a French
duel in forty years.
But when two French aviators.
Capt. Leon Vandecrane and Capt. Rob-
ert Schroeder. recently proposed O
duel in tho air with machine guns as
the best way of settling their dispute,
they lifted the personal combat to a
plane reached not even by the i'm
sSinative Twain. In the four years OF
war every one has become accustomed
to reading OF battles in the air which
staggered the mind, but the thought
OF two men deliberately going out TO
cuel three miles above the earth has
in 1t something OF detached horror.
The most roisterlng bully who ever
spitted his opponent in the Bots dc
Boulogne might we'll hesitate at the
idea Of such ar encounter.
"Aces" In War Time DueIs.
Occasionally in the war CHAMPIONS
Of each side went hunting each other
because of the others personal re-
nown, but usually they circled warily
about curtsied in mutual respect and
went on their way. Col. Bishop, the
Canadian ace. tells of a time when he
and German found themselves rush.
ing toward each other at a combined
speed OF 800 miles an hour tlc.r guns
splitting lead in steady bursts, each
waiting 10 see which would weaken
first and dodge. The Germans nerve
cracked and he lifted his machine a
fraction Of a second before a collision
would have been inevitable.
This. however, was an impersonal
affair, and two Infatuated men using
lecklessly this weapon OF scientific
destruction for their opponents ami
hiiation might very easily be tainted
into charging each other II thelr gun
merry and combat skill failed them.
Similar ends were not at all uncom-
mon in tho days when men frequently
fired pistols with only the width of a
table between them. Master duellists
havo had a contempt for death that
Verges on the sublime.
This airplane duel has been post.
poned until the end of the war after
various objections had been raised
against It. Despite his love for deeds
or spectacular bravery the Partisan
contemplated with some reluctance the
possibility OF a defeated duellist tumb-
ling out of the clouds onto his chimney
pots, and the police forbade the affair
near the city. Then n combat over the
sea was suggested. but as France is
still at war the seconds decided that
II would be best to postpone the meet
ing until the peace treaty Is signed.
30 It Is to be hoped that the princi-
pals will cool off before they have an
opportunity TO fight.
Dueilists I'm Balloons.
Only one battle in the air is recorded
In all the long history OF duelling. and
that. Appropriately enough, was also
held OVER Paris. Balloons and blunder-
buses were used. A. NJ. do Grandpree
and a N. le Pique had a dispute over
dancer, which resulted in chal-
lenge. Being. as the chronicler puts 1t,
of elevated minds the gentlemen de-
cided on balloons. So on May 3. 1905,
they went to a field near the Tuileries
and climbed into their baskets. In
this caso tn 'conds apparently had
implicit confidence in the prowess of
their principals, for they also got into
the balloons. In the airplane duel. the
seconds propose to have the compare
tive safety of their own machines
A good part of Paris was on hand
10 sec this unique affair, although
they did not know the purpose OF the
ascension. Outwardiy it was a friendly
party. The cords We're cut and the big
bags sailed up in tho air. and as the
wind was moderate kept about eighty
yards apart.
At the height of 500 yards NJ. de
.y,iauasS I'd ard missed. The fire was
Immediately returned By his opponent
and NJ. lie Pique's balloon was perfor-
ated with slugs. Down It went and NJ.
lie Piaue and his second were dashcI TO
pieces on a housetop. while Grandpree
and his second sailed on until they had
put seven leagues between themselves
and Paris.
Novel Methods In Fighting.
Despite the many edicts against
duelIing and the almost constant eff
forts to repress II there were times
in the seventeenth and eighteenth GEN.
turtles when men OF fashion rarely met
without asking who had been "out"
the day before. The sword and tho
ptstol were the usual weapons, some
tunes both we're used at one time but
circumstances or the desire for origi-
nality frequently led TO curious COM
bats.
Men fought in dark rooms or we're
tied together, sometimes they held
their left hand, leaving the right free
10 WELD a poinard, spikes were fixed
on a helmet and used for butting. and
,hara are eyen recorded duels between