Evening star., 1909-09-01
Chamber of Commerce to Discuss
Plans This Afternoon.
PLENTY OF MONEY Is OFFERED
Other Cities Striving for the Prize.
But Capitals Chances Seem
Good-Plan of Procedure.

The Washington Chamber of Commerce
will cable this evening to Glenn II. Cur
; tiss. urging him to use his personal inf1u-
ence with the officers of the Aero Club of
America to bring the next race for the
Gordon Bennett aviation cup to WASH
ington. This is part OF the campaign
which will be waged in favor of having
the great aerial carnival of next year held
in this city.
Steps will be taken at the meeting OF
the Chamber of Commerce this afternoon
to lend all the financial and moral sup
port possible to the Aero Club of Wash
ington in bringing the great aviation
meet to Washington next year. 1t is
matter in which all the trade bodies of
Washington are deeply interested. but it
| will have to be secured officially through
the Washington Aero Club. This organi-
zation is under the parentage and patron
age of the Aero Club of America and
will be recognized by that organization
as the official representative of aeronau-
tics in Washington.
1t was hardly thought when the Wash
| ington Aero Club was formed a few
months ago that it would be so soon call
ed on to make such an important fight
as bringing the Gordon Bennett race to
the capital but there was provision made
in the articles of Incorporation that Ii
should be organized for the purpose OF
promoting race meets, entertaining visit
ing aviators and other things that will
come essentially under the head of the
duties that will have to be performed IN
) connection with this great event that
Washington is so, anxious to secure.
To. Form Joint Committee.
One of the first things it is planned 10
do is to appoint joint committee repre-
senting the Aero Club of Washington, the
Chamber of Commerce, the Board Of
Trade and the Business Mems Associa-
ton, SO that they may all work together
in getting the meet for Washington 1t
will cost real money when 1t comes to
offering inducements, but the actual
amount that il will be necessary to raise
will be indicated somewhat by what was
spent at Rheims. Part Of the Information
as TO the number of visitors. the amount
charged for seats in the grandstands. the
money spent for entertainment, prizes and
the like is already available. and more
information has already been written for
| to those who were intimately In touch
with the Rheims meet.
There are a number of wealthy men in
4 the Washington Aero Club. and some OF
these have already said that they would
,
while the local commercial ASSOCIATIONS
have said that they would be willing TO
raise funds much as is done for the ex-
penses of an Inauguration. :s
Other Cities Want It.
Tie chief trouble anticipated is from the
competition that will be offered by other
. cities Any of the big cities in the coun-
! try would be glad to have the meet ani
| would be willing to spend large sums OF
. money to get it, but il is thought that
: Washington can meet them in any mate
rial inducements offered, and that as the
. city Is the political and scientific center
of the country it will be possible TO prlnS
influence to bear that VIII assure the
holding of the carnival in Washington.
The week of aviation just finished at
Rheims was held over the plains OF
! Betheny. and included ten-kilometer
race track which is about six miles. 1t
! is probable that the size of the course
may be increa sed but it is also likely
that it will remain expressed In kilo-
meters because that comes near being
a universal language for the measure
nent of distance and representatives Of
! number OF foreign countries certainly
will be present al the international races.
: Potomac Park Suggested.
!: The officers of the signal service in
! the War Department are interested IN
: the coming event and have expressed
!: the hope that it may be held in Wash
ington though their experience in Sc
J. curing suitable aviation ground here
: has not made them oversangune. 1t is
I true that all of the country around
: Washington is rolling and hilly. and for
that reason not we'll adapted to laying
; out an airshio course.
!: At the same time there is place where
a course OF ten kilometers may be had
i. directly on the edge of the city and ac-
: cessible to visitors by the use of nothing
: but the city car lines This is over the
: Potomac driveway from the Washington
Monument to the Long bridge, taking in
a part of the Virginia shore. Such a
course would necesstate crossing the
. river at each end of the oval but the
distance the water wouiG Je only
half a mile at one end of the Irse and
about a quarter of a mile at the other.
. The whole of the Potomac Park would
. be available for spectators and grand
stands and the Washington Monument
itself will make a convenient measure for
the trials in flying for height
Taft Would Favor This City.
President Taft, Alexander Graham Bell
the Secretary of War and the Secretary
of the Navy are all Washington people
directly interested in the science of avia-
ton, and believe Washington as the
scientific center of the country offers
itself as the most natural place in the
world 10 hold the meet. There would
have to be some very material induce
ment offered in order to bring the carni-
val to this city, but it is thought that
the business men here would be able to
compete successfully with anything in
the way of an inducement offered by
other cities.
Building Permits Issued.