AIR RACE DISASTER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1134, 23 May 1911, Page 5

AIR RACE DISASTER.

FRENCH WAR MINISTER KILLED

PREMIER SEVERELY INJURED.

AVIATOR CRASHES INTO AN

OFFICIAL PARTY.

By TdesraDh-Press Association-Oopyriuli:

(Rec. May 22, 9.10 p.m.)

Paris, May 22. A terrible disaster occurred yesterday on the' aerodrome at Issy, just outside tho city. Prior to the start of the air race from Paris to Madrid, an aeroplane got out of control and swept down oil the Ministerial party, killing General Berteaux, the Minister for War, and severely injuring the Prime Minister, M. Moms. A vast . crowd, numbering some hundreds of thousands, was present on the ground to witness the start of the race, which was one of tho principal aviation events of tho season in France. Several of the aeroplanes competing had started, and as many of the spectators had invaded tho course a squadron of Cuirassiers was ordered to clear tho ground. The trcops galloped from the grandstand towards the crowd behind.^ An aviator named Train was circling the ground some distance behind a group, among which were a number of Cabinet Ministers and Army officers. As tho members of the group were walking to the grandstand, M. Train was adjusting his balance to descend, as his maohine had not been working satisfactorily. He endeavoured to steer round tho Cuirassiers, and General Berteaux, noticing tho coming mishap, ran with his arm upraised and shouted a warning to his colleagues. The stoel monoplane flashed like a scyth,o into the scattered group, and one of tho eye-witnesses saw the motor strike General. Berteaux, while the propeller blades struck M. Monis in the face and down tho body.

11. Antoino Monis, jun., a son of ths Prime Minister, luckily saw tho aeroplane coming in timo for him to push his father down on to the ground. This prompt action probably saved tho life of M. Jlonis, sen., for tho projecting part of tho machine struck him comparatively lightly.

General Berteaux's arm was severed by tho machine, and his other injuries were so severe that he shortly afterwards succumbed to them.

M. Monis gave no sign of life for some time after the accident, and it was at first feared that he was also mortally injured. On examination it was found that ho had sustained complicated fractures of tho leg, and a fractured nose. He is suffering from sovero thoracic and abdominal pains, with contraction. A bruise in tie region of tho liver is considered the only somewhat serious feature of his internal injuries. The aviator and n passenger who was in the machine with him escaped uninjured. Tho crowd was horrified at the disaster, and immediately dispersed. Sixty persons were injured in the crush at the exits. M. Monis., on recovering consciousness, inquired whether any of the others had been injured, but M. Berteaux's fate was not mentioned to him.

At tho rqucst of M. Monis, the ra.c-p is to be resumed to-day. There were twenty competitors, and nine military men also were to make flights as far as the Spanish frontier.

M. Cruppi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, will-act 'temporarily as' Minister for War until a successor to General Berte.nis.has been appointed. The Premier is suffering less internal pain to-day. The doctors have injected an anti-tetfinus serum as a precaution. RESICNATipN MOOTED. PREMIER'S PRESENCE INDISPENSABLE. A CRISIS POSSIBLE. (Rec. May 22, 0.25 a.m.). • London, May 22. Router's Paris ' correspondent reports that M. Monis's presence in Parliament is oonsidered indispensable at the prosent juncture, especially 'in connection with electoral reform. Some of the Ministers sharo tho impression that the Cabinet must resign, i . AN AWFUL OBJECT-LESSON. EFFECT ON POLITICAL SITUATION.' (Rec. May 22, 11.40 p.m.) London, May 22. "The Times," commenting on the disaster at Issy, says it is an awful object-lesson, and suggests that it is • tho urgent duty of the Home Office to confer with tho Commissioner of Police, and, if necessary, advise tho passing of a short Bill to control aviation during tho Coronation period. With Tegard to the political situation in France, "The Times" adds that M. Monis owned that his position was largely due to the approval of M. Jaures, the Socialist leader. General Berteaux was his right-hand man, and was instrumental in retaining Socialist support for him. His loss will be doubly folt owing to tho present situation in Morocco and the fact that General Berteaux could persuade tho Socialists to condone, if not io accept, the Ministry's policy in that country. They will possibly be less ready to accept it when presented by others. MESSAGES OF SYMPATHY. London, May 21. King George sent to President Fallieres and to M. MomYs aud M. Berteaux's relatives his sincere sympathy. Sir E. Grey, Foreign Secretary, on behalf of the Government, sent a similar message. GENERAL BERTEAUX'S CAREER. General Henry Maurice Berteaux was born at St. Manr les Fosses on the Seine nearly fifty-nine years ago. He was one of the most widely known public men in France, and was popularly known as the millionaire Socialist. General Berteaux has long been a familiar figure on the I'aris Bourse, or Stock Exchange, on which he held an official position as far back as 1879. His first experience of public life was as Mayor of Chaton, a small Parisian suburb." In 1593 he was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for Seine-ct-Oise, Versailles. From ISO 9 onwards he was convener of various Budget committees. He was a firm supporter of the Combes Ministry, which succeeded | that of M. Waldeck-RoussEau, and forced through tho famous Bill separating Church and State. On November 15, 1904. ho was appointed Minister for War in the Coombos Cabinet, a position held by him for almost a year. Tho deceased Minister was one of the most active opponents of the Briand Ministry which fell at tho end of February, and was succeeded by that of IT. Monis. in which he again figured as War Minister. Ho was a vigorous defender of tho dismissed railway strikers. The French Premier is summed up succinctly in the Paris "Gaulois" as oldfashioned, "what would ho called in England a gentleman of tho old school." His simple and inelegant mode of life in an unfashionable neighbourhood of the capital is quite old-fashioned. His appearance suggests the bourgeois of ISIS and his ideas are all taken from the literature of that. time. His clothes promote tho illusion that lie has stepped nut of a comedy of French manners by tho younger Dumai