HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1913-7-3, Page 6Electricity in the Future
Getting Current From the Air and Sending Power
by Wireless Now Among the Possibilities
It is always interesting and often
useful to try to forecast the fu-
ture, and of all problems of the
future that of electricity is perhaps
likely to concern us the must, fur
illseems quite reasonable to expect
that in time the greater part of the
lighting, heating and power supply
of the civilized world will be pro-
vided by this agency ; although be-
fore this can come about radwai
changes must take place in the
methods of producing electricity,
and also in the manner of distri-
buting and using it, says Cham-
bers's Toureal,
Electricity --which some people
believe to be actually life and the
base of all matter, if not matter
itself, and which, as far as we can
judge at present, pervades all
space—is the only apparently ex-
haustless source of power which
is to be found everywhere and et
all times, Our other sources of
power, lighting or heating are all
mere or less limited and local.
Coal, the principal agent, is
widely distributed over the world;
but there are enormous areas where
it has not been and is not likely
to be found, and whither it has to
be conveyed at considerable cost;
and even where coal is found in
large quantities, as in thas country, them by special apparatus, we she
fr o has generally to be brought hit on the way to make a receiver
from great depths at a test which
which will collect them out of
space directly.
It is, of course, already possible
to draw electricity out of the air
by means of a lightning conductor;
tion of a local and by no means
inex.lianetible energy—that is, if we
rely on uur principal sources, coal,
oil or water; and, nu doubt, in
the future this clumsy system will
be superseded by tiypparatue which
requires no power to drive it, or
only sufficient power to Make up
losses.
it may be that Benjamin Frank-
lin was nearer the solution with -
his kite and key than we imagine,
and that in the future we may at-
tract our electric current to re-
ceivers placed
On the Top of high Towers.
The first hints as to the construc-
tion of such receivers will no doubt
be conveyed to us by phenomena
connected with receivers end trans-
mitters at wireless telegraph sta-
tions, as the electricity telegraphy
is the same as that collected for
power or lighting purposes. but
used under different conditions as
to pressure and periodicity; and
if we can now tune up a receiver
to collect the waves or vibrations
100 miles away and make them do
work, it seems reasonable to hope
that some day, instead of first col-
lecting and intensifying the waves
of electricity by means of a dyna-
mo -machine, and then transmitting
is likely to increase as tame goes
on.
Wood, perhaps the earliest source
of power known to man, is now
distributed in sufficient quantities but a conductor is needed witch
verybe colontinually
l and although it evencen will draw the current not only in
increased
e aced by renewedulplanting and atimes of thunder -storm, when the
increased by careful and atmosphere is overcharged with
electricity, and, therefore, very
ready to give it up, but also in nor-
mal times, when the electricity is
more evenly distributed. In addi-
tion to the receiver and conductor,
it would probably be necessary to
have some apparatus in the nature
of a transformer to lower the volt-
age and increase the current, and
possibly also some form of second-
ary battery or storage apparatus
to act as an equalizer for the sec-
ondary current.
When it becomes possible to do
away with the dynamo, no doubt
the large central power station will
be done away with also. With no
question of coal or water to con-
sider, it would be mere convenient
and probably cheaper to have a
number of small receiver stations
than one large station; and, in
fact, the time might come when all
works would have their own receiv-
er or group of receivers, and when
every house over a certain size
would be fitted with a receiver and
provide its own electricity for light-
ing, heating, cooking and
forest supervision, yet in most lo-
calities its large bulk and low heat-
ing value render it
Much Dearer Than Coal.
Mineral oil, destined to be the
great rival, if not the superior, of
coal in the near future, is widely
distributed, and new oil fields are
being discovered nearly every day
in various parts of the world.
Crude petroleum either flows to the
surface like a spring or can be
pumped up, and is thus got to the
surface very cheaply; but once it
is titers the handling of it and the
transfurming of it into cleaner
grades of oil reuder it dearer than
coal at present fur most purposes,
in shite of its higher calorific value.
C :•al gas as a source of power de-
pends, ..,f course, on coal, and on
certain kinds of coal; but as coal
gas made on a large scale and with
proper precautions for the recov-
ery of the by-pioducts is already
more econemieal to use than the
raw <:>a' itself, it is probable that
in urban districts gas will soon be
used to a very large extent in
place of coal.
There is, of course, natural gas,
but this is too local to be consid-
ered as a source of power.
Running or falling water, solar
heat and the tides are all local or
irregular ; and wind power, al-
though to be found everywhere, is
toe irregular both in force and dur-
ation to be of any great use.
Electricity is the only power
known to us at present which can
be abtained everywhere—at the top
f nwuntains or the bottom of
mines, on the ocean, in the desert,
by day or night, in the tropics or
at the poles; and the smallness of a
space tgapears to make no differ-
ence in the amount of electricity
wllieh can he generated in it. But,
unfertimately, electricity cannot be
c_+r ] : ly- described as a prime
surer of power except for small
aili,t nie it must he produced by
the aid of one or other of the orig-
inal agents mentioned above,
Producing Electricity.
We can produce electricity in
vary ue ti: eys; by primary batter-
ies (el various kinds, by friction or
by hent; but to obtain commercially
ant -thine more than very small
erred ies we must employ the dy-
namo-machine—that la, we must
lake a mess of iron, wrap it round
wits, insulated copper bars or wires,
and revolve it at a fairly high
speed in close proximity to a sim-
ilar mass of iron and copper. Wo
have learned that by giving these
two masses of metal particular
shapes, suitably insulating them
from each other and from the earth,
and making the air space between
the fixed and revolving parts as
email as possible, we can produce
electricity, or rather collect it out
of space, at any voltage or pressure
we choose, the only limitation be-
ing our inability bo keep it from
breaking loose at very high pree-
sures. We can also produce the
electric current with various char-
acteristics,' such as continuous or
alternating current; brut in any
case we cannot produce electric
current of may kind by means of
the dynamo without expending.
more energy in the formof mechan-
ical power to torn tat machine
than we, get cub of it in the form
of electricity,
Now, it smote hardly consistent
with the economy of Nature that
in order to get a' portion of this
omnipresent and inexhaustible en-
ergy the must consume a larger par -
Other Domestic Purposes
The above suppositions doubtless
carry us very far into the future of
electricity. but how far it is im-
possible to say. At any moment an
accident or the thought of some in-
vestigator may put mankind on the
right way to discover the method
of producing large quantities of
electricity without moving appar-
atus or costly batteries. Before
this stage is reached, however, we
shall probably have discovered
some cheaper form of a dynamo and
a more economical method of driv-
ing it. It may be found commer-
cially possible to substitute some
cheaper form of winding for the
copper, and to reduce the whole
weight of the machine for a given
output without reducing the pre-
sent efficiency, and the direct gen-
eration of very high voltage ear -
rent will become more and more
common. As regards greater econ-
omy in driving, the Diesel type of
oil engine perhaps promises best
at the present time, and it will no
doubt be used extensively in the
near future. It is possible also
.that some successful method may
be evolved for utilizing the force
of the tides; while power stations
depending on coal will tend to move
nearer and nearer the coal fields
as the practicable transmission of
voltage increases, until the colliery
and power -houses are combined,
and the coal brought from the pit
goes direct to the furnaces of the
boilers, the whole output of the
colliery being sold as electric cur-
rent instead of coal. This might
be done at present in many oases
with very great advantage. Ne
doubt large electric power stations
will be erectedon oil fields as well
as at coal mines.
Transmission of Power.
As to the transmission of electric
power from the generator to the
'motors, lamps or other apparatus,
it appears very probable that we
shall shortly be able greatly to re-
duce the weight of copper required
for mains, and in some cases to do
away altogether with transmission
cables. The pressure at which elee-
%rieity is generated is certain to
inerease, and it may be found mere
eeonomieal to transmit the current
through soft steel wire ropes than
through copper wires, but wireless'
telegraphy appears to open up the,
possibility of doing without wires
at all in some eases. •
It is now en everyday fact that
A. NEW PHOTO OF PRINCESS 11ARY OF ENGLAND
A recent and striking photograph of Princess Victoria Alex-
andra Mary, popularly called Princess Mary, the only daughter
of the Ring and Queen of England. The Princess is sixteen
years old, having been born in 1897.
the small currents required for tele-
graph work can be transmitted
without wires for distances of hun-
dreds of miles, while larger
amounts of electricity capable of
'actuating motors end moving con-
siderable weights have already been
transmitted without wires for short
distances. This being so, it seems
quite likely that one of the first
radical changes in electrical engin-
eering practice will be wireless
transmission of power, the question
turning on whether it is cheaper
to put in a receiver or run a length
of cable.
Probably one of the first results
of this change will be the abolition
of direct contact between the trol-
ley pole of electric train cars and
the overhead wire, the trolley pole
being replaced by a vertical pillar
extending to within a few inches
of the overhead wire, and provid-
ed with a receiver at the top, this
receiver being tuned up to syn-
chronize with the current in the
wire. There would then be no ne-
cessity for two overhead wires on
a double tram line, and the single
wire might be made lighter in seo-
tion and carry a current at a much
higher voltage than at present, and
this single wire, which would re-
quire no switches or comp'licatecl
suspensions•at corners, would very
greatly simplify and cheapen the
overhead equipment for tramways
and light railways, besides improv-
ing the appearance of the streets.
Wireless Transmission
of power will be even more impor-
tant in the ease of railways than
of tramways. In works and factor-
ies wireless transmission will no
dotubt at first be carried out by
station into the works and connect-
ing it to a transmitter, the motors
and lighting transformers being
fitted with receivers suitably tuned.
Ono result of this will be used in
'place of fewer large ones, as there
will be no internal wiring to be
carried out.
From. the time that it becomes
practicable to transmit power with-
out wires at no greater cost..than
at present, improvements will fol-
low quicklyand the cost will de-
crease, while the distance aver
'which power can be transmitted
will continually increase. Wire-
less transmission would, among
other economies, save, the east of
way leaves, as, it is difficult to see
how a landowner could prevent,
or charge for, electric current pass-
ing through the air over his pro-
perty, but he might get his current
'for nothing by putting in meters
and receivers tuned to the required
pitch. No doubt at first a great
deal of current would be stolen in
this way, but it is very probable
that in tame the state will control
the production and distribubien of
electricity, it would soon become
as difficult to run a motor without
paying for it as to maintain any
other illicit practice, This pre-
sumes that the current is obtained
from a power -house or receiver sta-
tion belonging to the state, but
should it ever come to pass that
practically every householder could
collecb his own electricity, then the
,actual cost of -the current would bo
little ox nothing. The state wound
still draw revenue from the erec-
tion and .upkeep of apparatus on
private premises, and no doubt the
user would be taxed on the capa-
city of his plant or the amount of
current he ooneumed, if it were so
arranged that he colticl make use.
of net current. except •that which
passed through a sealed govern-
ment meter.
If Tt Was Cheap.
Should it ever become ,possible to
THE VtiHRLD 6 DE RE
The way the British by elections aro
going would poem to indicate that Silo As-
4utt:11 O v,.rn nC It ie in greater danger of
immediate ,lestruet:ien thin it Inc berm
since its fo•'rat•ion, Manytheories are
being Im5 forward to osnlnin the 80111a -
tion. It is s Ili, for eeevlpie, that there
le a greet hely of lintoei.t Free Treders
who, In oh tioro, w11011 thorn 18 110 eltonce
e.f defeating' the Cis ernment. cote Velemtat, hitt 0 1, in a neeerel election, when
thorn is a ahanee of mooting a Protertian•
vat goverment, vote Liberal, This does
not explain all the recent reamlts and It
lonld0 as thou* -1) tin Marconi sce''lals, tu^
volving in a very lndlreet wad Mr. Lloyd
George, the great standby of the Liberal
paron the
electrbeen la
electorate, thol sob the groen at 91190.
tion is whether the Government will hold
together until Home Rule has been ,it
into effect no it may bo within a year
from now. Rut politics in Ragland ]lays a
habit of changing with such kaloidosee.
pie rapidity that anything may happen
111 n year
GILLETTS LYE
EATS p PIT
•
1e011OIMCOD,11N 0111[4n016 11nl4"
noldWin Smith's Letters. thl'our.•h lmlg years bui]t up a repntatioa
A conetllct•nhlo furore in literary and of saying thinga tbat make good cagy,
politioal circles hap been caused by the The Anglican Church Rua'e13 from the
publioation of a volume of letters by the division into highand ]ow ehurob parties,
late Professor Goldwin Smith, Phe vel- Mr. Blake is tate great champion of the
nine is edited by Mr. Arnold Rau ltaia
who for many years previaua to Mr. Gold.
Will Smith's death noted as private secre-
tary, and was by the will appointed lit-
erare executor. Some time ago Dir, Haul-
tain published a volume of Reminiscences
which was, however, dicaPpointing because
of Cho tiflvial choractor of the work, The
present voh:me is also disappointing to
adtelrere of the late "sage of the Grange,
but for a different reason. It is disappoint-
ing because it aerme to reveal Goldwin
Smith as a narrow, bitter partlean who
found the times out of joint, who mis-
trusted meet men's motivesand:did not
hesitate to attack his contemporaries with
bitterness and virulence.
Mr. Ifeultain cleclaree that these are the
letters "of a truly great meta who saw
Crory far and whose solutions of all prob-
lems• were derived from an intellect. 11-
Iumined with 'lumen eiccum' which is all
too rare," which prompts one reviewer to
remark 'to coueider Goldwin Smith as a
great man, oven an eminent man, is to
give place to an amiable superstition.
On the whole, Goldwin Smtth'e reputation'
air at high altitudes is extremely
line not been enhanoed eine, his death,
It has to be remembered, however, that he beneficial.
A noted German authority on
consumption gave it as his belief
not long ago that flying is an almost
certain remedy for "the great
white plague." His reason was
Isnolvn as the white Slave Traffic, Al1.I that exposure to the Faun's rays at a
high altitude killed the germs
sorts of Organizations have been stirred; very
to take up the subject, all of them no I al consumption in the lungs.
d91 bmaytU tsheainlemphatics.
terms that Even before aeroplanes became
low Church party. lis is the main piper
of St. Paul's, of which hrohcloacon Cody
is the Rector. This is sufficient to ident-
ify Mr. Cody with the low Oln1ro18 party,
though it is doubtful 1f 119 Is as extreme
as is his patron. Onthe high Church
sidi0 the leader 1s Provost Dieohlem, 5118
11,0,1 of Trinity Cortege. Despite rumb-
lings, however, the conlliot between high
and low Church wee this year compar-
atively tame.
FLYING FOR HEALTH.
Said to Be a Certain Cure for the
Great White Plague.
In spite of the grave risks run by
aviators, the opinion is growing
among doctors that flying is an ex-
cellent cure for many diseases. It
is claimed that the purity of the
made many bitter enemies who have no
yet ceased their activities.
obtain and use electricity in a cheap Exaggerated Stories of Evil.
and simple manner, as sketched Many newspaper readers must have been
abov0 a verygreat change weird tmpreosed during the past few yearn with
$ Cho tremendous amount of stuff which to
be wrought in our methods of loco-- being printed oou erning the grosser
motion, driving of works, industrial forma of vice, particularly that which ie
processes and domestic economy.
'Ships would cross the seas carrying
no fuel, but drawing their ,power
out of space as they went along;
locomotives and tram cars and pri-
vate motor cars -would perhaps also
get their motive power in the same
way. Smoke would disappear, and
with it most of the grime and dirt
of our manufacturing towns. The
general health of the community
would improve and woman's lot in
the house become vastly easier with
a plentiful and practically free sup-
ply of power laid on for lighting,
heating, cooking, sweeping, wash-
ing and other household require-
mente.
Such a state of things appears too
good to be ever likely to come
about, and ib may be that it will
never be ,possible for us to draw
elecoricity direct in any quantities
from space without moving appar-
atus, owing to continual varia-
tions of the positive and negative
atoms of electricity, if they may be
so called, to their continual re-
grouping and density in any par-
ticular space, or to various other
' causes. But, again, it would not
be safe, in the light of the great
strides which science has made in
less than the last 100 years, to deny
that the advances in electrical sci-
ence as outlined above are pos-
sible.
A TROPIC SEA.
Where the Water Was Several De-
grees Hotter Than the Air.
Those who live in temperate and
cold •climates do not realize the ef-
fect of the sun's direct heat on the
sea. The luxury of bathing in an
ocean that has a temperature of
108 degrees, writes Mr. E. T. Ban -
field in "My Tropic Isle," is not
for the multitude who crowd the
cities that the sun touches tremu-
lously and aslant.
On November 91, 1909, we bathed
at Moo -Ice, north Queensland, in
shallow water, on the edge of an
area of denuded coral reef fully two
miles long by a mile broad, For
three hours la censidorable portion
of the reef had been exposed to the
glare of the sell., and Cho incoming
tide filched tho stored -up heat from
coral and stones and sand,
The first plunge provoked an ex-
clamation of amazement, for the
water was several degrees hotter
than the air, and it was the hottest
hour --three o'clock in thci after-
noon—of a very hot day. No ther-
mometer was at hand to register
the actual temperature of the wa-
ter, but subsequent tests at the
same spot under similar conditions
proved that the surface stratum of
about one foot was at 108 degrees
Fahrenheit, from four degrees, to
six degrees hotter than the air.
Below that, the temperature al the
water seemed ordinary, and corres-
ponded with that of the water a
hundred yards out from the shore.
On another day, January 10, 1910,
between noon and three o'clock in
the afternoon, the sea, scientifically
tested, was heated to ninety de-
grees. With the bulb buried in the
sand six feet from the water's edge,
the mercury rose to 112 degrees
very quickly, and remained station-
ary. -
Scatt—"What's the difference bo-
tween a poor man and a million-
aire I"
illion-aire'I" Mott -"Yes, I know all
thein it. One worries over his maxi
meal, and the other over his last."
a great proportion of the stories which
are printed concerning this evil are en-
tirely imaginary. There aro probably few
newspaper editors who have not had
brought to their offices manuscript pur-
porting to relate life incidents in connec-
tion with this matter which, without
doubt, had their geuesf0 solely in the
brain of the writer. Prom time to time
figures are given out concerning the carry-
ing off under violence of hundreds of
women. May one bo permitted to doubt
also the authentioity of most of these fig-
ures? Perhaps what is known as the Slave
Traffic does exist, but not to the extent
which has been described.
The testimony of the head of the Police
Department- in Toronto and of comutis-
sioner. Starr of the Children's Court, who
may be accepted as an unprejudiced ob-
server, is to the effect that there has not
bean in years in Toronto a single un-
thentieated ease of violent coercion being
used for the purpose of securing recruits
for this traffic.
A Mania for Publtoity.
One may be permitted also to express
doubt fie to whether so much dieoussion
and newspaper notoriety is the best meth-
od of fighting this evil. It le a question
whether such publicity dots not do a
great deal of harm. It is not an iseie
upon which the public mind needs to be
aroused. Public opinion on the matter Is
absolutely sound, and there ie probably no
lar ranker anywhere who is not, perfectly
willing to take whatever• steps are ne.
cessary without any furore or eampaigu
being mads about it. The thing that seems
to be most needled is the incubation into
the home of good morals and good sense
with frequent iteration of the simple
warning that "who plays with fire is apt
to get burmt."
however, with many persons discussion
of the subject seems to be a mania, ant
it looks as thongll a campaign of pub-
licity had not yet 01111 its course.
Ontario' Bye -elections.
Unusual interest to being taken in the
bye-eleotions which are ehortly to take
place in North Groy, and in South Bruce,
the former to elect a representative to
the Legislature to replace honorable A.
G. Mackay and the latter to fill the va-
cancy in the House of Commons caused
by the elevation of Senator Donnelly.
South Bruce is interesting to politicians
beeauee they think it will give them a
line on what rural Ontario thioles about
the Naval Issue and North Grey is in-
teresting because it is the scene of his.
torte conflicts, Liberals are afraid that
the departure of Mr. Mackay willresult
in, a considerable weakening of their
forces In that riding. The fact that both
candidates ale Temperauoe advocates may
binedorBar" issue
being presented aclearrmit ashion
Our Religious Convictions.
Onaccount of the great • number of
Oharah conventions recently Ontario daily
almost ers haa thanlled secular Church
ul3lioat The
more
Preebytorian Assembly, the Baptist Con-
veutiou, the Anglican Synods, the Motho-
diet Conferences and the Congregational
'anion all delnanded their share of pub -
Bony, and for a time the sporting page
had to look for its laurels as 5118 centre
of attraction.
An English visitor who attended some
of the sessions of the Presbyterian Assem-
bly and some of the Methodist Confer -
mums told me that ho was astounded at
the uncompromising attitude of those
churches, which he .considered fairly tsr-
bal of what wotldl be described in Ong.
laud as non -conformist denominations. lie
was particularly impressed with the rigid•
ity of the views expressed towards the
liquor traffic. Ifo me almost horrified to
and that the opinion was expressed and
applauded that not merely the manufao
turors and the dispensers of liquor were
einnore of the blackest dye, but that the
moderato drinker was also denounced, It
was regarded as impossible for a man to
be a' Christian and indulge in liquor in
any degree. To this English visitor this
was a novel ,point of view.
At the Synod meetings ho said he toned
a somewhat softer temper^ Tho atmos -
Otero here was net quite so unrelenting.
In fact, delegates, lay and clerical, wore
frequently to be seep olipptng out of the
meeting to. enjoy 'a quiet elneka at the
boucle of
great the outstandahuroll,
'Pin ing figure in the local
Synod it non, -S. H. Blake. He Speaks on
every 08111885 that comes up, always e10,.
greatly, atwees in the mug, preei00 Eng-
Fish and always to the point, 1t might
be added that he is always partisan. He
takes one side of aquoetion and argues
it often in an extreme manner, 11801tnse
of this partisanship It is difficult to think
of him as a judge, and that may be one
of tiro reasons why he so quickly stopped
down from the bermh, many years ago, to
resume the prnotic8 of law.
Mehowor this Year,
0hi1 year, however, it was noticeable
that, 19r. Rlalco, who bee but mooni10 re,
eovored trona a somewhat were illness,
had lost a great dual of the bittornmst
which somolhnos on previous occasions
erepptd out, Reporters have general in-
structions' to keep a sharp lockout for
as popular as they now are, there
were not wanting medical men who
believed in ballooning for certain
ailments. As far back as 1906, Dr.
George Bull, a famous oculist, ad-
vocated the balloon cure for eye
troubles. People suffering from
eye -strain would, according to this
doctor, experience wonderful re-
lief by going up into the air for
about 3,000 feet, and remaining
there for some considerable time.
"The purer air at such an alti-
tude," 1}e said, "and the effect of
watching the diminutive objects on
the earth below would do the eye e
great deal of good."
Many professional airmen have
stated that they felt in :much better
health after their .flights. All
"cobwebs" are brushed away from
the brain by aviation, and head-
aches are often banished as if by
magic.
Mrs. Trehawke Davies, the noted
woman aviator,' stated a short time
ago that flying 'was good for curing
insomnia. When feeling very ill
and "run down," it suddenly oc-
curred to her that a trip in an aero-
plane might effect a cure. Accor-
dingly she made an ascent with Mr.
Valentine, and later on with an-
other aviator, and to her great de-
light she found herself practically
restored to health. There can be
no doubt that in the near future,
instead of ordering patients away to
the seaside, doctors will advise
them to go up in the air and leave
their illnesses there. On the other
hand, it must not be forgotten that
aviation makes some people actual-
ly ill. Many of our leading flying
men have suffered severely from
"air -sickness" and nervous eehaus-
£ion, Almost every day, however,
brings tie nearer to the perfect
aeroplane, and it is safe to assert
that when an absolutely perfect
machine has been evolved, nothing
but benefit to health will result
from flying.
SWINDLED BY SHARPS.
Thousands Lose Money and Are Ar-
rested for Violating Laws.
The Berliner Tagoblatb, o'f Ber-
lin, reports from St. Petersburg a
remarkable swindling affair which,
however, is not without its humor-
ous side. A group of sufficiently
plausible sharps circulated notices
to the effect that the authorities,
desiring to ostablisli a new town in
the plains near Nekhibchevan, on
inc Don were prepared to give any-
one a free title to 1,000 square yards
of land on condition that the set-
tlers fenced in their allotments im-
mediately and undertook to com-
mence buildings within a reasonable
time.
Thousands of people rushed to
the spob, where they were received
by the swindlers, who assisted them
in staking out their. plots, and sold
them, at high prices, large quan-
tities of material for fencing.
On the following day Cho men had
disappeared, but in their plaueee•
there arrived a detachment of po-
lice, headed by the town prefect,.
from Nelehibchevwn, and the disap-
pointed 'settlors not only found
themselves under arrest for occu-
pyirI land without legal authority,
bet lost all their formes and build-
ing material, which were promptly
ovorytehie Mr, Blake says, because bo has c011 Seated.
TROOPS A E FRANCE'S NEED
BRITISH CO-OPERATION 11111ST
I.NC7.1'Dl; SOLDIERS.
Ft'eno11 General )Claps Out Cam.
paign 115 Case of a Ger-
man Atlaek.
General Lacroix, the military
expert of the Paris Temps, devotes
a long article 'to what .should, in
his opinion, be the action of Great
Britain in the event of a Franco-
German conflict,
The general critIcizee the awser-
tion which appeared in the English
Tunes recently, that in the event
of France and Germany -being at
war, the eicl of the British fleet
would insure for France the safety
of her coasts, the neutrality 'of
Italy, and would render the army
of the Alps available for use at an-
other point of the frontier. Be-
sides these advantages, the co-
operation of the British fleet would
secure a safes passage to the French
army in North Africa and to other
colonial troops.
To these contentions General La-
croix abates that the presence of
the British tieet will not add a sin-
gle gun to the French forces on the
eastern frontier, That the French
army in Morocco would cross to
Franco in any circumstances, and
that as for Italy, if she had a mind
to attack Franco simultaneously
with other European powers, it is
questionable whether the fear of a
maritime bombardment would in-
duce her to forego her intentions.
Only Help Would no Army.
There is therefore no truth, con-
tinues General Lacroix, in Cho
statements that the help of -the Bri-
tish fleet would release 800,000
French troops from the region of
the Alps and the coast defences to
strengthen the army on the eastern
frontier. England must realize
that the assistance she can give to
France in time of war is summed
up in tho active and efficient co-
operation of her army on the conti-
nent.
General Lecroix then proceeds to
demolish the idea that Great Bri-
tain should give France her support
at sea whilst Russia aided her on
land. He points out that such an
opinion is the result of a misunder-
standing of what an alliance be-
tween countries so distant as Eng-
land, France and Russia means.
If Germany, cut off from the Medi-
terranean by the Balkan powers,
endeavors to press towards the
North Sea and to lay hands on Bel-
gium, Holland, and Denmark, im-,
mediately Cho balance of power in
Europa, the command of the sea,
and the triple entente would be jeo-
pardized.
General Lacroix contends that it
would be an unwise policy to put
too severe a strain on the triple
entente by throwing the burden of
the fighting on Russia, in a conflict
the issue of which would be the
direct concern of Great Britain.
Waterloo is Cited.
How could England, he contin-
ues, intrust with confidence the
protection of her interests on land
to any other arms than her own?
How could she protect them if she
only possessed the command of the
sea? It was not at Trafalgar but
at Waterloo that England over-
threw Napoleon.
In conclusion, General Lacroix
declares that "England must pro-
vide on the Meuse the support ne-
cessary for the French army to
overcome the German superiority
in numbers. If not, the destinies
of Europe may well be settled in the
west in a way that would not meet
her views. A fleet and a territorial
army, however numerous it may be,
can set .no obstacle in the way of
the advance of. Germany on the con-
tinent. Onlygoad active army.
y
with astrength of 16 or 20 divisions
can guarantee to England' united
with France, her victory in Europe,
and thereby the maintenance of her
position in the world."
A Housewife, in the Making.,
Miss Emery had given little Tim a
simple problem in .addition that he
failed to work out. "Numbers aro
dry," she reasoned with horself,
and determined to make the lesson
more interesting.
"Suppose," she began, engaging-
ly; "your mama sunt you to the
store to buy three pounds of lanib,
two pounds of potatoes, half a
pound each of carrots and turnips,
and one pound of tomatoes—what
would you have then?"•
Tim shook his head; but Mary
bell, only a year older, -raised an
eager hand,
' Wall Marybsll2" said the teed:t-
err, with�a sorrowful glance et little
Tim..
"Stew!" said Matrybell, sweetly.
Tied.
Son—Someone says, dad, that
there's a tide in. the affairs of men
which leads to fortune. What kind
of tide is that?
Practical Vather—Tied down to
,bluaincss,