Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-11
Diplomats, Scientists and Prominent
Officials Join in Acclaim.
SISTER SHARES THEIR GLORY
Brothers Announce that Flights Will
Be Resumed June 21.
MUST CONCLUDE ON JUNE 2S
Machine Used viii BE Practically
Identical with that Used Last
Year, with Addition of
New Improvements.

WASHINGTON, June 1O-The apprecia
ton, good will and congratulations of the
American people were today extended to
Wilbur and orville Wright, the American
aviators, by the president of the United
States.
The occasion was the presentation OF the
gold medals awarded to the Wright
brothers by the Aero club of America 20
commemorate the conquest of the air. In
the presence OF distinguished statesmen
foreign diplomats. members OF the cabinet
noted scientists and prominent aeronauts
and aviators, the two inventors Of the first
successful flying machine, heavier than
air, received the first public recognition
of their achievements from their fellow
countrymen.
President Taft, in handing the medals to
the brothers. expressed keen admiration
for their work. He ventured the belief
that their flying machine will be the basis
for the future aerial craft and made the
prophesy that the dawn of the age of flight
is here. The Wrights were introduced to
the president by Representative Herbert
Parsons Of New York, who paid glowing
tribute to their personal qualifications. n.
Holland Forbes, winner of the recent ma
tional balloon race, and acting president
of the Aero club Of America, turned the
medals over 20 the president on behalf Of
the aero club.
President Taft Speaks.
In presenting the medals to the Wright
brothers President Taft said in part: u
esteem 1t a great honor and an opportunity
! to present these medals to you an evil
dence of what you have done. l am glad,
perhaps at a delayed hour, to show that
in America 1t is not true that prophet
is not without honor save in his own coun-
try 1t is especially gratifying thus to
note a great discovery i'm human economy
| by paying honor to men who bear 1t as
modesty. You made this discovery by a
course that we of America Hike 20 feel is
distinctly American, by keeping your nose
right at the job until you had accomplished
what you had determined to do.
1T has been said that this is the first
! presidential recognition OF aeronautics since
/ President Washington. Well, all 1 have
TO say is that 1 had a predecessor, who, II
| aeronautics had proceeded as far when he
left office as they have today, would not
only have gone down under the water in
a submarine boat, but would have gone up
| into the air in a flying machine. No one
had a more earnest interest and a greater
desire to see into the things that make for
progress than my predecessor,
There may be some reasons why some
presidents have not figured in aeronautics.
l see that these gentlemen who have flown
in the air are constructed more on the
plan of the brds than some OF us.
Il don't like to think, and l decline to
think, that these instrumentslities that you
have invented for human use are to be
. confined in their utility to war. l presume
| that they wilk have great value In war,
aRd 1 suppose that all of us representatives
Of the various governments ought TO look
at this matter following the rule of gov
ernments of today, from the standpoint
of their utility in war, but / sincerely hope
that these machines will be increased in
/ usefulness to such a point that even those
of us who now look at them as not for us
may count on their ability to carry more
than thin passengers in times of peace.
| Many great discoveries have come by
accident. Men working in one direction
/ have happened on a truth that developed
| itself into a great discovery, but you gem
/ tlemen have illustrated the other and on
J the whole much more commendable
| method.
Il congratulate you on the result I con-
graduate you on the recognition you have
received from all the crowned heads OF
Europe, and congratulate you that in
receiving It you maintained the modest
and dignfied demeanor worthy Of Ameri-
can citizenship"
Miss Catherine Wright, sister of the
aeropianists accompanied her brothers,
and was quite as much lionized. After
President TAFT had congratulated the
| brothers individually, he turned 70 Miss
| Wright and said: And l want to congrat-
| fContir,ad On S.copa pag.N