Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1919-09-17


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 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 a 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
81 heavier-than-air machine actually
fly
Twenty years ago and more there
lived in Chicago an engineer named
Octave Chanute, 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. 1t
Is known that the Wright brothers, as
youths, were pupils of Chanute, and
that they witnessed some of his exper-
| iments.
Octave Chanute was pioneer In re-
search; Langley was pioneer in pre-
liminary accomplishment, and the
Wright brothers were the accom-
pllsbers. The entire development of
the airplane has occupied only about
q 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 of 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 FRAGILE in the hard work
of keeping up with the situation"
The heart anXieties were deep-deep
err, 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 wGr 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
ilICtL lliCy NOuIN llOl plONRuNN ciOlAo h't'
full lines The embassies of the allies
We're 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 VIII
son, Immediately after cur entry into
the war, made public the results Of
Investigations into the German viola
tons of the neutrality CT the United
States, and of their attempts at de-
structiOn of our Industries.
Jusserand Is Rejuvsnated
The other afternoon 1 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. burden
heavier than lead seems 10 have lifted
from his shoulders. He is buoyant