Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1919-09-16

ChitSu states SUNeEumtHl, WITH Uue
of the Wright brothers on the scene,
made its preliminary test of airplanes
In this city before adopting them for
the service of the United States.
To the Wright brothers General
Menoher has given the credit for the
development of the airplane to the
standards of practical use. The
Wrights themselves, however, always
gave credit to the pioneers in the field.
Work of the Pioneers.
In the Smithsonian Institution in
this city is a tablet to the memory of
Samuel Pierpont Langley, who COM
pleted the first heavier-than-air ma
chine which actually flew. Not long
ago scientists came to Washington
from all over the country to pay trib-
ute to the memory of this scientist,
Langley, who through the years with
stood the jibes and the jeers of men
who called him crank and worse be-
cause he was convinced that one day
men would fly. Langley kept at his
work, and today he is acknowledged
as having been the first man to make
heavier-than-air machine actually
fly
Twenty years ago and more there
lived in Chicago an engineer named
Octave Chanute, a man of French ex-
traction, who also firmly believed that
one day man would fly and would not
need lighter-than-air apparatus to en-
able him to do so. 1t was Octave Cha
mute who developed the plane idea. It
is known that the Wright brothers, as
youths, were pupils of Chanute, and
that they witnessed some of his exper
iments.
Octave Chanute was a pioneer in re-
search; Langley was q pioneer in pre-
liminary accomplishment, and the
Wright brothers were the accom-
pl1shers. The entire development of
the airplane has occupied only about
a score of years. In Europe Lilienthal
and others were experimenting, their
work in measure following the lines
OF those of Chanute, who was in CORE
spondence with his European col
leagues in the experimental field.
Relief in the Embassies.
In the embassies u the allied nations
in Washington there are signs of relief
and something as near approaching
happiness as ambassadorial faces are
allowed to show. Victory for the ar
mics of the United States and of the
allies had it's rejuvenating effect on
everybody In the embassies from the
ambassadors down to the messenger
boys
What wonder? For years there was
stress, anxiety and labOrs unto mid
night in all of the embassies. Men
wore themselves down to what people
like to call a FRAGILE in the hard work
of keeping up with the situation"
The heart arxieties were deep-deep-
er, Of course, before the United States
entered into the war than they were
afterward, but deep always up to the
signing of the armistice in November
last.
Prior to the entrance of the United
States into the war the German and
Austrian ambassadors were engaged
in propaganda work, trying to keep
sympathy for the Germans alive in the
United States, and trying also to Grip
pie the industries of this country so
that they could not produce along law
full lines. The embassies of the allies
were not supplied with funds even for
proper propaganda work, except In
small measure, and it is understood
that the French embassy had no funds
for this purpose.
The work of the allied embassies In
trying to offset the German propagan-
da was difficult because Of this lack
of funds and because the United
States was networked with a system
of German espionage. President Will
son, Immediately after our entry into
the war, made public the results of
investigations into the German VIOLA
lions of the neutrality of the United
States, and of their attempts at de-
struction of our industries.
Jusserand Is Rejuvenated.
The other afternoon / spent an hour
or two at the French embassy, talking
with Ambassador Jusserand who had
Just returned to this country. Like
other representatives of the allied
powers he is a different man today to
what he was a year ago. A burden
heavier than lead seems to have lifted
from his shoulders. He is buoyant
and hopeful for the future. He al
ways was hopeful, for that matter,
even in the darkest days, but now he
seems like a man who 'rejoices that
something besides war can claim his
attention. Ambassador Jusserand is
a writer Of note among the writer's of
the world.
He told me how the French appre-
ciated the unfailing humor and wit Of
the American soldiers. He went TO
France with President Wilson and re-
turned with him, and consequently
was in his home country for about six
months He said that he was talking
to a French general now in command
of the forces in Paris but who last
summer was in command of an army
at the front, and was told by the gen.
eral that one day when an American
force had been in continuous action
for a long time, and 1t seemed neces-
sary that 1t should be relieved, he
telephoned an American brigadier gen.
eral that he might withdraw his
forces for rest.
"The brigadier general" said Am
bassador Jusserand, told me that the
American general in reply to the per-
mission to withdraw for rest, said !:
Tt will be impossible to withdraw for
several hours, because I have $4,000
German shell here which the Huns left
behind and of course being an honest
man l want to return them to them.
We are sending them back to them
ont of orr of 75's inst as fast aa we