The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-07-27
THE CONQUEST OF DISTANCE

observation that this world of ours is growing smaller. The reference is not to actual shinkage in size; the dimensions of the earth, if the scientists will per- init us to hazard a guess, are much the same as they were in Father Adams time. What is meant is the improvement in methods of communication, by which the distant quarters of the earth are drawn closer together.
 We no longer wonder how the 'other half" lives; we know. And if their way of living does not meet with our appro- bation, we may broadcast some advice by wireless, which is not always, alas, taken in the spirit in which it is offered. Of the truth of this remark Europe pre- sents many examples. The telegraph, the telephone and now, radio By these means of communication human thought and the chronicle of events; the details of a great disaster; the rumblings of war; the epoch-making moves on the checkerboard of international politics; crimes great and small news of the lit erary world, of art, science and of music, or a simple anecdote about the great all these and countless other matters are transmitted over the wires or borne on waves of ether around the world and to it's furthermost parts with incredible rapidity.
 Shakespeare created Ariel, that swift and willing servant of Prospero, out of a playwright's imagination. But what is the imaginary feat of putting "a girdle round about the earth in forty minutes, ]" compared to the modern miracles per- formed by wireless? Just recently science made a practical demonstration of send ing photographs by wire. Such pictures are already appearing frequently in American newspapers. Soon we shall be able to stand Sin telephone booth in New York and see the person we are talking to in San Francisco, or London. Depend upon it! Man will accomplish that, just as he has accomplished many other miracles in scant half-century of human progress.
 Literally the shot that starts war and alters the course of history is heard around the world. The smoke of the gun or the pistol has scarcely ceased to curl from the weapons muzzle-as at Sara ievo or later at Corfu-when the whole civilized world knows it. In world cap itals thousands of miles away grave faced statesmen are gathering to discuss the possibilities that lie in the act of a single individual or a group of indivld- uals An explosion in the Balkans instant Iy reverberates in all the capitals of the world, more distinctly heard in Europe, perhaps, than anywhere else. Nothing of any importance to the human race hap pens anywhere that it is not soon after a matter of common knowledge. If of sufficient importance it is broadcast by wireless, is published on thousands of bulletin boards and in newspaper extras with flaring headlines, and is thence con veyed by word of mouth to the dwelling places and the working places of hu- manity.
 Added to these achievements in keep ing up with one's neighbor, who may re- side in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Anti podes or the South Sea lslands-for our neighbor is no longer merely the person next door, but any inhabitant of this teeming earth-is the development or aviation. At<the present time American and English aviators are winging thelr way around the earth. The Americans are confident of completing their flight in the final dash over the North Atlantic, then across the American continent to their starting point in California. Com pare the speed of an express train of to- day, and the airplane, to the tollsome journey by stage coach or horseback. There are men and women still living who have travelled by stage coach, horse back and the prairie schooner" slowest of all. What though the stage coach has been immortalized by the writers or America and England; and the prairie schooner" by writers of Western fiction these vehicles were wearisome to the flesh, and afforded slow and tedious way of getting about.
 Man has flown from coast to coast in day. The twenty-four-hou transcon- tinental mail service is now reality. In Europe people fly from one capital to another, for business or pleasure, and at a speed no express train has ever at tained; and yet such travel has become a commonplace experience. How much smaller is the world destined to grow? Who can say? But we all know that it becomes ever harder to get away from civilization, to hide from the prying eyes of the world. For good or i'll, the fierce light of publicity beats upon us all and in the air are countless voices to tell our neighbors what we do.
 
 PPOTECTTNE WILD LIFE