Today -100: April 1, 1910: Of death from above, helpful imperialists, suffrage, and street cars

The French Minister of War, Gen. Jean Jules Brun, denies that Germany is far ahead of France in aeronautics, plans to ask Parliament for $4 million to catch up. He’s also trying to figure out which is better, dirigibles or airplanes.

Liberia, experiencing some unrest, has received a friendly offer from the German cruiser Sperber to send in some troops to, you know, help out. Liberia not only said no, but ordered the Sperber to leave its waters or “take the consequences.” The Sperber left.

The Massachusetts House of Reps voted against women’s suffrage 47-148, with five pairs.

A St. Louis municipal court rules on one of the burning issues of everyday life: “Title to a seat in a street car rests in the man who gets it first in preference to the man who sees it first.”