462 THE EMPIRE OF THE AIR. 



Let us admit that tlie in-oblem is solved, and l<'t us sjx'culatc uitoii 

 the effects upon society. Let us begin with property. Property will 

 be riven with an enormous gap. With the patent insufiQeiency of in- 

 closiire, with intrusion into the privacy of home, hedges, walls, will no 

 longer be of service; the inclosure under the roof will be incom])lete 

 and will need emendation. All this will constitute a curtailment of the 

 privileges of possession, for a little consideration eA'ideuces the dimin- 

 inished efficiency of barriers. AVe shall no longer be at home as here- 

 tofore; there is no need to dwell <ni this, it is easily gras])(id. 



But what of the collectors of customs and tlie police in the ])resence 

 of this new nu)de of locomotion ? They often fail to control existing 

 ways of comnnmication which nevertheless are upon well-defined lines, 

 wiiere all nuist pass and are easily inspected. What will these officers 

 do when they must watch the air, that immense pathway some -L or 

 5 miles liigli? During the day it may be ])0ssible to fancy some 

 partly satisfactory surveillance; witli a large force, good telescopes, 

 lust cruisers of the air, we might i)erliaps exercise some control, but 

 it night, what is to be done? How can we bar the empire of air? 

 How can we so much as watch it when opaque fog annihilates the ef- 

 fects of ele(^tric reflectors? Smugglers will certainly have such facili- 

 ties for plying their industry, that the only thing to do will be to sup- 

 press the custom-house entirely. 



But then what will ])ecome of the revenues and the balance of the 

 budget? These x>erturl)ations to property, to the customs, to the po- 

 lice, are mere bagatelles when compared to the" perturbations which 

 will result in political matters. After all there may be found in time 

 means more or less sufficient to supervise the transportation of goods; 

 men will become accustomed to the new limitation of privacy; but as 

 to political matters we shall lind ourselves in the presence of such fa- 

 cilities for confusion that the like has not been seen since the tower of 

 Babel. 



What will become of the army, this new invcnti<m being successful? 

 All will have to be done over again; the fortifications, the mano'uvers, 

 the defenses of the frontiers, strategy, all is brought to naught. It 

 will even cause, in a very short time, the sup])ression of uationalities: 

 races wdl be rapidly commingled or destroyed, for there will no longer 

 be efficient barriers, not even those movable barriers which we term 

 armies. No more frontiers ! No more insular seclnsi(Ui ! No more for- 

 tresses! Whither are we drifting? 



It nuist be confessed that we are face to face with the great unknoAvn. 

 What will be the result ? Will society perish? Assuredly uo! 



As to the lu'ocedure that society will adopt to conform to this new 

 uu)de of existence I have not the least idea, but it may be affirmed 

 that society will emerge victorious from the struggle; that after the 

 tempest caus(Hl by injured interests a period of restored equilibrium 

 willfollow: and that in theend at the cost of a time of distress, humanity 

 will enter into [)ossession of theem])ire of the air. 



