Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-24
BIZ HENRY w. BUM.

The following is brief summary of
the most important news of the world
for the seven days ended March %:
GREAT BRITAIN.-During the COM
ing fiscal year the British royal air
force is to be increased from rs to 80
squadrons, including IL cadre or auxil-
larry squadrons.
A new British flying boat base has
been established at Basra. 1t Is now
expected that the two new airships,
R-I00 and R-10l (the greatest airships
in the world, each with gas capacity of
over 100000 cubic feet), will make
their first flying trials by June at latest.
The retail price of gasoline in Great
Britain is now 80 cents per gallon,
whereas year ago it was only 26.
Meantime, the government has imposed
tax Of 8 cents per gallon, and now
the recently formed oil combine has
added more. Against the latter a
howl of protest has arisen all over the
kingdom. The baby car" industry. one
of the most successful of all British
industries, is likely to be hard hit.
There is strong move afoot to raise
the compulsory school age term from
IA to Is, partly on obviously general
grounds and partly (as advocated by
the Melchett-Turner joint committee
representing capitalism and trades
unionisn) to relieve unemployment.
X X x
FRANCE.-Ferdinan Foch, marshal
of France, died on March 10, at the age
of II. He was far and away the most
notable figure of the Great War, and
indeed ranks with the supreme captains
of all time-with Alexander the Great.
Hannibal, Caesar. Marlborough and
Napoleon-being of the very few who
have Individually possessed that rarest
species of genius. the genius military.
Perhaps his most striking illustration
of that gift was at the first Battle of
the Marine, when. just as to others the
day seemed irretrievably lost, he OWNED
a weak spot in the German line, drove
for 1t and through 1t, and reversed In
the allies favor the course OF the war
1t is that ineXplicable touch Of divina-
ton at supreme crises when everything
conspireS to prevent clear decisions,
that stamps the authentic military
genius. 1t was upon the occasion men,
toned above that Marshal Foch uttered
the famous words:
Pressed on my right with my center
broken, I am attacking with my left.
My situation is excellent"
The operations which followed upon
the too-long delayed appointment, in
March. 1918. of Marshal Foch as gen.
eralissimo of the allied and associated
forces, were, of course. on scale of
unprecedented grandeur. The fact that
the plan embodied very important sug-
gestions from Field Marshal Haig does
not detract from the credit due to
| Marshal Foch: au contraire.
| We may not say that Foch was the
| greatest of captains; but we must say
| that he conceived the grandest OF mill
tary plans and that it was executed
with complete success. 1t Is beyond
question that the German armies could
have been annihilated. The world will
remember no less the clemency of
Foch, and, among the influences
making for genuine Franco-Germa
| pacification, the remembrance Of this
clemency is not negligible.
In person. Marshal Foch was the
| frailest of the great commanders. He
was of very kindly and modest, though
dignified, demeanor. He was most
religious man. OF all the great COM
manders he was the most profoundly
learned in his profession: indeed he
carried weight of learning that would
have sunk an ordinary man into
pedantry.
1t is matter of profound regret that
Marshal Foch did not live to complete
the memoirs on which he was at work
The greatest figure of our time has
passed.
| X X
GERMANY.-The port of the free
city OF Hamburg is now the second
port In the world in respect of maritime