Agricultural Meteorology

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

a branch of applied science concerned principally with the relations existing between meteorological conditions and crops. The first textbook on the subject in the English language, written by J. Warren Smith of the U. S. Weather Bureau, was published in 1920, although elaborate researches and applications of discoveries were made in Russia under the direction of Prof. Brounov for many years prior to 1914. (See CRITICAL PERIOD OF CROPS, PHENOLOGY.) AIRCRAFT CARRIER. A vessel of war of large displacement, designed for the purpose of carrying aircraft, from which aircraft can be launched and upon which they can be landed. By the Five- Power Naval Treaty, entered into at Washington between the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy, and Japan, the total tonnage of aircraft carriers allowed to each nation is limited as follows: 135,000 tons apiece for the United States and Great Britain, 81,000 tons for Japan, and 60,000 tons apiece for France and Italy. No aircraft carrier exceeding 27,000 tons displacement may be built, except that each nation may possess two not to exceed 33,000 tons. The guns of aircraft carriers are limited to 8-inch caliber, and sizes over 6 inches are limited in number. AIR HOLES. A term widely used by aviators of all countries (Fr. Trou d'air, Ger. Luftloch, etc.) to describe any condition in the atmosphere which abruptly decreases the "lift" of an airplane; usually a downward air current. AIR MAIL SERVICE. (See AERO- NAUTICS.) ALAND or AALAND ISLANDS, an archipelago of about three hundred islands lying between Sweden and Finland in the Baltic Sea. The inhabitants are largely of Swedish origin, as are those of the neighboring coast towns of Finland proper. Until 1809 the islands were held by Sweden, but in that year were ceded to Russia following the seizure and practical annexation of Finland by that empire. An agreement between England, France, and Russia after the Crimean War of 1854 forbade the erection of forstrongly fortified by Russia during the tifications on the islands, but they were World War, constituting the main protection of Petrograd against German attack. Following the Finnish declaration of independence in 1917, a movement was started by the Swedish inhabitants of the islands to separate them from Finland and unite them to Sweden, and they were seized first by the latter nation and then by Germany during 1918. After Germany's downfall both Finland and Sweden laid claim to their possession and in 1920 the dispute was brought before the League of Nations at the instance of Great Britain. A commission consisting of a Belgian, a Swiss, and an American (Abiam Elkus, former U. S. ambassador to Turkey) was appointed by the League Council to examine the question, Sweden and Finland agreeing in the meantime to take no action prejudicial to peace. The commission reported, May 10, 1921, recommending that the islands be awarded to Finland, of which they were held to constitute a natural geographical appendage. The finding was confirmed by the Council of the League, which, however, in awarding the islands to Finland, added certain requirements of guarantees for the better protection of the interests of their inhabitants. Sweden protested against the decision, but recognized its validity and agreed to abide by it. A convention signed at Geneva Oct. 20, 1921, provides for the non-fortification of the islands and their neutralization in case of war. The signers of this treaty, in addition to Finland and Sweden, are Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Poland, Esthonia, and Latvia. ALASKA. (See UNITED STATES, 1921- 1922.) ALBANIA. Following a series of international agreements made in 1919 and 1920, by which Albania was practically partitioned among her neighbors, a national convention of Albanians was held at Lushnja early in 1920 and a government was established at Tirana with the immediate object of resisting alleged Italian aggression. Albanian volunteers, recruited largely in America, took the town of Tepelen in May, 1920, and fighting followed throughout the country. Peace with Italy was accomplished by a treaty in August which provided for Italy's withdrawal from the country. French troops were likewise withdrawn in September, and Albania was free of foreign control. In December, 1920, the government at Tirana applied for Albania's admission to the League of Nations and the application was unanimously granted by the League Assembly. Complicated boundary questions soon arose, however, owing to the claims of Jugo- Slavia in the north and Greece in the south, in northern Epirus. Albania appealed to the League of Nations, which referred the question to the Council of Ambassadors. The several agreements of 1919 and 1920 were finally set aside by the nations involved and the frontiers of 1913 were substantially renewed. On Nov. 5, 1921, the government at Tirana was formally recognized by the nations represented on the Supreme Council, and a commission of three impartial persons was sent to Albania to report to the league on the execution of the boundary decisions. Jugo-Slavia consented to withdraw her troops from the territory she had claimed and invaded, but her representatives announced that she would continue to urge reconsideration of the boundary question. The Albanian Government as constituted by the Lushnja convention consists of a Regency Council of two Christians and two Mohammedans, a Parliament elected by the people, and a cabinet of ministers responsible to Parliament. ALLIED DEBT-FUNDING COMMIS- SION. (See FOREIGN DEBTS.)