New-York tribune., 1910-06-23
AERO CLUBS IN BIC FIGHT
Parent Organization Takes in
Rivals, Then Deserts Them.
ROW MAY LAST FOR YEARS
Mr.. Posts Bad Eyesight Starts
Fl ght That Is To Be a
Struggle for Control.


| There were several hot aeronauts In this
/ city yesterday. any one near the east
| room of the Waldorf could easily perceive.
| They were hot all day, and when night fell
I they were hotter. They held four conyen-
| tons in three places and had trouble try
| ing TO remember in just which room their
sympathies best found expression. AS was
predicted, several things happened.
The American Aeronautic Association
met at the Waldorf at 10 a. m. with thirty
| eight delegates from aero clubs throughout
the country. Many of these were clubs
affiliated with the Aero Club Of America.
1 The Aeronautic Federation sof America
held a convention at the Hotel Astor at
the same hour, with seventeen delegates
from aero clubs not af1liated with the
parent organization. These delegates were
| led by Thomas A. Hill. Of the Aeronau-
| teal Society
The object of each convention was de-
clared TO be to secure for the various
| aeronautic societies in the United States
voice in national affairs. Each organiza-
| ton felt that the Aero Club of America
should share its power in national matters.
When the seventeen delegates at the
Hotel Astor learned of the thirty-eight dele
|
Waldorf and took their credentials with
| them Augustus Post, of the Aero Club
Of America. acting as chairman of the ere
dentials committee of the American Aero
nautic Association. could not find the Gre
dentials of the seventeen delegates to the
| Aeronautic Federation of America for a
! long time The high voiced offers of the
seventeen to help Mr.. Post, and the oppo-
sition raised by many delegates to the
larger convention, who apparently sympa-
thized with Mr.. Posts technical loss of
| eyesight, started all the trouble that prom
ises to continue for perhaps many years
Finally, lust before dinner time, the dele
gates to the federation were taken in by
| the other convention. Mr.. Hill and his
forces felt jubilant Mr.. Post had been
severely reprimanded by James E. Plew, of
Chicago, and adjournment until 7:3o
D. IN. announced.
| The feeling between the two sets of dele
1 gates was hot, but not warm, and so they
chose different dining rooms George NJ.
Myers. Of Kansas City, who was president
Of the associa ton, again took the chair in
| the evening but only for a minute. He
asked Lee S. Burridge, of the federation
forces to relieve him, which Mr. Burridge,
innocently enough, prepared cheerfuily
| to do.
Then said II. NJ. Neely, of the Aero Club
of Pennsylvania, one of the thirty eight
delegates to the American AeronautiC AS
ISOLATION:
Mr.. Chairman. wish to withdraw my
| credentials from this convention.
| Mr. Burridge had to stand and receive
over thirty such requests from delegates,
representing among others the aero clubs
4 Tpos Nan
England, Kansas City, Washington, d c.,
California, Harvard intercollegiate Asso-
citation, Chicago and MINNEAPOLIS.
Each delegate smiled in a sweet and
rather happy way as he put his request
| and then took his hat and departure. The
! delegates from the Aeronautic Federation
of America had come 10 the Waldorf,
been admitted TO the American Aeronauti-
| cal Association. and now the association
delegates had left the field IN the hands OF
| their rivals of the morning
| 1t was all so sudden, but Mr. BurTidge
| went right along. Hudson Maxim was
elected president of the remaining forces,
which included representatives from Roch-
ester West Side Y. NJ, c. A, New Jersey,
Canada. New Orleans. Aeronautical So
ciety of New York. Florida, Philadelphia
Aero Recreation Society, and the y. NJ. I.
A AerOnautic Alumni.
| Mr. Maxim said lie was thoroughly
aroused by the pathetically funny efforts
of Nr Post OF the other convention, 10
try not to seventeen applications Tor
| membership, and he pledged his support to
the AeronaUtic Federation OF America
which will be incorporated to-day. The
American Aeronautic Association was in
| corporated yesterday
| The following officers besides Mr.. Maxim
were elected: Lyman }. SeeIy, Rochester
| George ". Clark, Jacksonville: w r. Kim
ball. New York; Oscar j. Needham and Dr.
y c. Eberhardt. both Of Dayton, Ohio and
Thomas l. Eldridge OF Philadelphia. vice
presidents; Thomas J. Hill. secretary; DIR.
r. c. Northwood, treasurer, and Lee s.
Burridge, supervisor.
While this was going the men who
withdrew from the Joint convention went
TO the rooms of the Aero Club of America
took off their coats and acted as if they
had at last found home and mother. Mr..
Post was detained at the Waldorf by the
delegate OF the Canadian Aero Club, who,
when Mr.. Post was hestant regarding what
he would do with some Of the papers OF
the convention, waved his fist near Mr..
| Posts face and shouted:
do you wish to be arrested ordi-
nary thief, will you hand over those
papers as gentleman"
Mr Post believed the remaining delegates
| should decide that for him. and they voted
for the papers.
At j o'clock the men who mad retired
from the convention of their own calling
issued a statement at the Aero Club an
nouncng that at noon to-day the first
steps toward perfecting "A working agree
rnent with the parent organization would
be taken. They said that they were as
sured by the club that all national ques-
tions would be submitted to the assocl-
alton. the Aero Club retaining its power
in all international matters. A committee
was appointed to meet at 9:30 clock to-
day TO draw up plans. DR.. Eberhardt and
Mr. Needham. elected yice-presidents by
the federation, were shouting with the as
sociation delegates at the Aero Club, un-
conscious of the honor that had been con-
ferred.
1t was a hot finish to an unusually spec