London, Feb. 18 (British Wireless Service).-The final armistice conditions which the Supreme Council is considering will be made public before the end of the month, according to various newspapers, and they will include among the naval conditions the demolition of the forts on Heligoland and the Kiel Canal, the surrender for purposes of destruction of the German warships now interned, and the opening of the Kiel Canal for commercial use. It is stated that Germany will be left with a fleet large enough for defensive purposes.-N. Y. Times, 19/2.

GERMANY

EBERT ELECTED PRESIDENT.-The German National or Constituent Assembly opened at Weimar on February 6, with 397 members present. According to full election returns, the representation of parties in the Assembly was as follows: 163 Social Democrats, 88 Centrists, 75 German Democrats, 92 of the German National Peoples' Party, 22 Independent Socialists, 21 of the German Peoples' Party, and 10 scattering.

On February 10 a provisional constitution was adopted making Germany a federal republic, and Friederich Ebert, acting Chancellor, was elected first President. In his speech of acceptance Herr Ebert declared the armistice terms harsh and "ruthless," and welcomed the union with German-Austria.

TOTAL GERMAN DEBT.-Weimar, Feb. 15.-In an address before the German National Assembly, Dr. Schiffer, Minister of Finance, said that he saw the necessity for credits of 25,300,000,000 marks being requested. Of this amount, the Minister said, 300,000,000 marks would be used for building houses.

He added that the total credits and loans aggregated more than 140,000,000,000 marks, not including 6,000,000,000 marks in Treasury notes. The bank bills in circulation, Dr. Schiffer said, amounted to 43,500,000,000 marks.

Germany's war debt of $35,000,000,000, in addition to $1,500,000,000 of treasury notes, amounts to about two-fifths of the national wealth of the old empire, as that wealth has been estimated in Washington.-N. Y. Times, 19/2.

POLAND

The Supreme Council of the Peace Conference on January 22 decided to send at once to Poland a mission composed of two delegates, one civil and one military, of the United States, Great Britain, France, and Italy, the object of the mission being to examine the situation in Poland and on the Polish frontiers.

The Provisional Polish Government was on January 29 given complete recognition by the United States, conveyed in a telegram from Secretary Lansing to Premier Paderewski.

In the February elections in Poland for delegates to the Constituent Assembly, the list headed by Premier Paderewski received about 50 per cent of the total vote, 15 per cent going to the Polish Socialist Party, and the remainder to Jewish candidates.

REVIEW OF BOOKS

ON

SUBJECTS OF PROFESSIONAL INTEREST

"Practical Aviation for Military Airmen." By Major J. Andrew White. (Published by Wireless Press, Inc., New York City.)

The first feature of this book that impresses the reader is its decidedly unconventional typographical arrangement. The author conducted classes at an aviation ground school at the beginning of the war, and an attempt is made to present the subject of military aviation as taught in the classroom. The illustrations are chosen from diagrams and lantern slides used and the explanatory text is on the same page as each picture or opposite to it.

The text of the book consists of a series of condensed statements, the relative importance of which is indicated by the size and character of type used. As might be imagined, the appearance of the text is somewhat unusual; in come cases four or more different sizes of type being used on one page. As each statement is complete in itself, reading the book is made rather difficult. The arrangement, however, has certain advantages, and due credit should be given to the author for his initiative in leaving well-worn paths.

At the beginning of each chapter there is a Chapter Analysis" listing the titles of each section, and at the end there is a "Review Quiz" of 20 questions on the material of the chapter.

There are 15 chapters and an appendix. Three chapters are devoted to the theory of flight and design, one each to materials and rigging, four to the power plant (treated more thoroughly than in most general text-books), one to equipment, and the remaining five to operation.

In regard to the illustrations, the diagrams are very informing and the photographs quite worthless. Most of the latter are from the Committee on Public Information and show groups of student mechanics posed in various picturesque attitudes around obsolete aeroplanes and motors. A prize example, on page 70, is labeled Student Aviators of the Signal Corps Closely Examining the Assembly of the Carburetor of an Aviation Engine." Here the motor is fairly successfully hidden from view by 11 stalwart young men gazing intently at the "assembly of the carburetor.” There are also a number of reproductions of the paintings of Lieutenant Farré, but out of place in a book of this character.

A few of the statements made are not in accord with the facts. Among these is a remark on page 85 that the Anzani engine is of the rotary type; whereas, of course, it is a stationary radial motor. On page 98, the Caproni triplane is said to have twin 12-cylinder motors; in reality, it has three motors of six cylinders each.

The appendix consists of a glossary of aeronautical terms based on that issued by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. Following each word is given the supposed French equivalent and. phonetic pronunciation. I say "supposed" advisedly, as there are some glaring errors, although the list is stated to have been checked by French aviators. Among the worst mistakes is the translation of "axes" as 'essieux," the French for axles." The equivalent for "seaplane” is given as “hydroplane" instead of "hydroaéroplane" or "hydravion." There are numerous cases of misspelling, "empennage," for instance, being consistently rendered as "epannage." Notwithstanding these and similar errors, however, the book should be of assistance to student aviators for whom it has been expressly written. J. J. I.

66

'Elementary Steam Engineering." By C. M. Reed. Price $3.00, postpaid. (Published by U. S. Naval Institute.)

The author has assembled in one comparatively small volume a large amount of really valuable data and information which should introduce and carry the student well into that awesome and mysterious subject, thermodynamics. Primarily intended to serve as a text-book for the instruction of midshipmen of the U. S. Naval Academy, it was developed largely with the author's personal knowledge of the conditions existing at that institution, particularly as regards the short time available for any one subject and the amount of ground-work which the student has in preparation for such a subject.

The author availed himself of the very best and most creditable authorities. A few of the subjects have been prepared from information obtained from authorities who are not perhaps so widely known to the engineering profession at large. Such as these are the subjects of flow of gas through nozzles, friction in nozzles and feed-water heater design. These methods may appear new, but the engineers responsible for them are able and thorough and hence the methods should find favor at once.

In the first chapter the author adopts the orthodox beginning of similar text-books, devoting an entire chapter to an explanation and discussion of “Energy, Work, and Power." In this is included a complete discussion of the elementary work diagram. The second chapter is a very pleasing one, and should be of considerable value to the student. "Formation and Properties of Steam" furnishes the subject and it is very well handled.

After this the author chose to introduce a discussion of "Gases" in general. Of special note in this chapter is the presentation of the gas constant and the constant "358" used in connection with gas volumes and densities. Then a return is made to steam engineering by a chapter entitled "Entropy and the Entropy Diagram." This is well handled, but is not new, the author following the conventional methods of the well-known writers on thermo-dynamics. It should certainly serve to better prepare the student for his study of marine turbines. In one chapter the author endeavors to present Steam Engine and Other Cycles" and succeeds very well. For the purpose of the book much of this might have been omitted, but

it is just as well that the problem has been stated in a logical and straightforward manner. The relation between the actual indicator card, the PV diagram, and the temperature-entropy diagram will be of value.

The chapter on "Flow of Steam and Air" will aid greatly in a better understanding of the action of steam in turbine nozzles. The explanation of "reheat of the steam due to friction in the nozzle" is especially pleasing and is sure to be of value when used in conjunction with the student's other text-books. "Heat Transmission" is well presented. As stated before, the methods may be new to the engineering profession at large, but should certainly meet with favor. Much is to be learned from this chapter.

The final chapter is devoted to "Combustion." The method of presentation is novel and certainly compact. The author deserves no little credit for thus presenting Dr. Lucke's lectures. It is possible that in some cases lack of detail will confuse the student, but this should be very easily remedied in the classroom. Of special note to engineers is the very last paragraph of the book in which the author makes a strong bid for the standardization of boiler tests. This is a commendable step.

The book is replete with problems, each chapter having a generous share. These should prove to be of great value. It is to be regretted that the answers have not been appended. The charts and tables both in the appendix and throughout the book are authoritative and of the best. This is a good feature.

The author deserves much credit for the manner in which he has, in a very short time, assembled a book worthy of much good-will and which, it is believed, must be a help to any student of steam engineering.

66

H. B. D.

Seamanship." By Eugene Doane. Price, $1.25. (Published by the Rudder Publishing Co.)

To those who look upon seamanship as something of a science and an art, the title of this small volume would appear a misnomer. The author takes a young man aboard a typical cargo steamer and describes in simple terms the operation of loading and departure with the usual incidents of a voyage; all as viewed from the standpoint of a newly caught rookie. The title page states that the book gives all that is essential for a young man entering the merchant marine or navy, which appears to be a somewhat exaggerated claim. Certainly, a man entering the navy will find much more interesting information in the "Recruits' Handy Book"; and indeed the larger part of the present work relates exclusively to the merchant marine. Nevertheless the subject-matter is treated in a very clear and readable manner, and there is good reason to hope that this book may be useful in familiarizing young men with the elements of sea life in the merchant service and in stimulating them to advancement in the mariner's calling.

W. C. J. S.

"World War Issues and Ideals: Readings in Contemporary History and Literature." Edited by M. E. Speare and W. B. Norris, English Department, U. S. Naval Academy. Price, $1.40. 461 pages. (Ginn and Company.)

In this book the editors have achieved their purpose of culling from a vast mass of materials-American, British, and Continental-what may be regarded as a fairly representative collection of war literature. Furthermore, by their system of grouping they have put what must have threatened to be disjecta membra into a logical organization.

The first division of essays deals with War Issues, and includes among others President Wilson's challenge of April 2, 1917, and Premier Lloyd George's stirring and characteristic Glasgow address. The next two divisions are more descriptive and emotional, depicting the Atmosphere of the War and the Spirit of the Warring Nations, with such stories as Dinant la Morte by David and Sims's Circus by Whitaker, and sketches by Barrès, Galsworthy, Maeterlinck, and d'Annunzio. The remaining divisions take up Democratic and Autocratic Ideals of Government, The New Europe and a Lasting Peace, Features of American Life and Character, and American Foreign Policy. The chief contributors here are well known political figures and writers such as Wilson, Root, Bryce, Gilbert Murray, Lodge, and President Eliot, but there are also men of lesser note who have written well on special themes. Germany is not neglected, for we have two extracts from Treitschke, and Bernhardi on The Decision to Make War. Possibly a few poems would have made the collection more complete. It is unfortunate in some respects, also, that exigencies of space have led the editors to cut somewhat freely. It must be admitted, however, that the essays thus mutilated give an effect of unusual directness and concision. The book is eminently readable. It is probably the best of its kind for the use to which it is put at the Naval Academy, that of collateral reading in connection with historical study. And it has a permanent value as a contemporary judgment of the best that has been spoken and written during four years that like a great cliff will overshadow history for a century to come. A. W.