Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-04
FIELD IN POTOMAC PARK
Scheme to Hold Contests in Late
Spring or Early Summer.
SCANT ATTENTION TO BID
Application for International Event
Given Little Consideration, and
Promoters Are Indifferent.


about the next International aviation
meet, the Washington Aero Club is pro-
ceeding on the assumption that it has
done its utmost to strengthen Washing
tons bid for the carnival. and is now
awaiting for the next move from New
I York.
In the meantime the Washington pro-
moters are laying plans for a real avia-
tion field in Washington, and for making
the next year here interesting in the de-
/ velopment of aviation, whether the in
ternational event comes here or not.
1t is hoped that field can be secured
in Washington itself, and that all the
Washington airship builders and those
who are interested in the development of
the art will have good place within
the city limits for trying out machines.
This Is nothing less than plan to es-
tablish a big aviation field in Potomac
Park.
Scant Consideration for Bid.
AS to the international meet. Washing
ton and Baltimore. with Norfolk in the
background. but none the less interested,
have pledged the necessary $l1O.Ooo for
the meet The bulk of this has already
been subscribed and the Aero Ciuo OF
America has been notified OF the fact and
invited to send a committee to inspect the
various possible flying fields. with view
TO settling whether WashinStons claims
are good.
AS a matter of fact, the Aero Club of
: a merica has paid scant attention to the
application. President Bishop of the club
has asked to have tOpOgr ap hlcal maps or
the country ready for his inspection but
! he has not said when he OF the committee
on the site for the meet would come to
Washington.
He has now started 10 California to at
tend the meet at Los Angeles 1t is not
known when he will return.
In the meantime there is a meeting OF
the International Federation in Paris jan
uary To- This will settle the date when
The contest for the Gordon Bennett cup
! will be held in America. Mr.. Bishop is
the American representative on this body.
He cannot be In Paris and Los Angeles
at the same time 1t is not known among
the directors of the Washington Aero
Club whether he has deputized any
. American abroad to represent him.
, There is possibility that America could
be represented at this meeting by Frank
s. Lahm. father OF Lieut.. Frank p. Lahm,
or Edgar Mix, an American resident of
Paris. a member of the Aero Club Of
America and winner of the recent long
distance balloon race.
Washington Wants Early Meet.
1t Is not known, of course, how the in
ternational Federation will act regarding
the American meet. II the meet is held
in the spring or the early summer it
would cut the time Of Curtiss possession
of the Bennett trophy to a little less
than a full year. Curtiss has already
said that he will raise no objection to
this.
. Some time in May OF June would be the
ideal season for holding the meet in
Washington, both on account OF the
weather and because of the presence in
the capital of members of Congress and
more officials and society people tnan
later in the season.
There Is talk in the Aero Club of Amer
lea. however, of having the meet as late
in the fall as October. If this is done
the chances are that Washington will
not get the meet and will not much care
whether it gets it or not.
The weather at that season is much
more uncertain. The session of Con-
gress will be over and the town will be
vacant OF good many society people.
diplomats and others whose presence
would contribute largely 10 the meets
success
Another feature that seems to have
been little considered by the American
projectors of the meet is that the foreign
aviators will need good deal of in
,iucement to attend. They will come to
Washington because it is the capital of
the country. quicker than they will at
tend anywhere else.
They have keen memory of F'arman's
experience when he brought over
here on guarantee and the guarantee
was not made good. They think that
America is place where money ought
TO be scooped up with a shovel and they
want tile best inducements to make them
take the long trip here from Europe.
They want at the same time the meet
to be held under the most favorable
conditions for success. The fact that the
American government was backing the
port would have a great deal to do with
inducing the best aviators to attend.
Aviation Carnival, Anyway.
In the meantime if the meet is not
held here, the Washington club wants
to have meet next spring or summer
which will at least bring out the best
men in America and may induce some
foreign aviators to come With this in
view the club wants to have Potomac
Park finished off as an aviation ground
that will not only be good for the Inn
mediate future, but will be an attrac-
tion to the city for years to come.
has not Yet been filed in. The members
of the club want this done as soon as
possible. to give large fiat space within
the city where aeroplanes can be tried
out anu NOW0-
The office of public buildings and
grounds has already expressed a willing
ness to do the work on a plan that will
meet these requirements. There are sew
eral hundred acres OF land in the penin-
sula east of the bridge where a five
kiiometer course could easily be laid out
There will be a drive around the edge
of the park when 1t Is finished anyhow
This would make vantage ground from
which spectators in carriages. automo-
biles and on foot could watch the flights
IL has been pointed out by the mem
bers of the club that it would cost little
To make a grass-covered mound, some
thing like that around the base of the
Washington Monument, where gliders
could be started. 1t is possible even
that series of small houses could be
erected for housing machines prepare.
tory TO trial fights.
Practically all Potomac Park is now
available for flying in the present state
of the art. There is little question that
in year or two there will be nothing
more needed for the average machine
than a good starting ground.
There is now city in the countr,
that has special public aviation field
The Washington Aero Club Is anxious fol
the capital to take the lead i'll this de
veiopmen:.
Travelling Into Danger.
From The lowell COrrter Citizen