The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-12-29
Rene Simon Makes Mile At New Orleans In Less
 Than Minute
HIGH WINDS PREVENT
 VERY MANY FLIGHTS
Central Americans Of New Orleans Will Present Il Loving Cup To John E. Moisant After
 Meeting Closes


 mon the French aviator this afternoon at Aviation Field, broke the worlds rec ord for monoplanes when he circled the mile track in a 20-mile hour wind in b7 seconds flat This is the fastest mile ever made by a monoplane under any conditions on a mile course.
 The machine used was 50-horsepower Bleriot and Simon drove the dangerous turns at an angle that threatened to send him sliding off the air banks to the ground on one wing. He negotiated these curves with perfect control, however.
 The high wind prevented any speed fly ing, the upper currents at times approach ing the 5O-mile mark.
 The first flight of the day was made by John B. Moisant, who ascended in his 50-horsepower B1eriot to try out the atmosphere. Flying high, Moisant made off to the direction of Lake Pontchar- train in the first event, crossing country flight.
 The wind at times carried Moisant in front of 1t at the estimated rate of 90 miles hour, while on the return stretches the machine at times seemed to make no headway whatever.
 The little aviator remained aloft B minutes 21 seconds and won the event
 Many Ascents Made
 Simon also made an ascent in this event, remaining in the air 22 minutes 4S seconds Garros, in the same event, stayed up 24 minutes. 8 seconds.
 In an exhibition and duration flight Barrier rode the air for 24 minues. s seconds, while in the one speed event of the afternoon Simon broke the worlds record and remained in the air 21 min utes, 59 seconds.
 Hamilton then ascended In his bipane for a 3-minute 16-second flight and was followed by Barrier In a monoplane for a flight of 13 minutes, 59 seconds. The attendance was fair.
 G. F. Campbell-Wood an official ob- server of the Aero club of America for the New Orleans international tournament now in progress, arrived here today with official barographs for Moisant's, Bar rier's and Garros' attempts to break the worlds altitude record. MT. Wood pro- nounced the present aviation field ex- tremely dangerous and marvelled at the wonderful airmanshlp of the eight en- trants In the local meet He was delight ed with Simon's record-breaking per- formance this afternoon when the little Frenchman flew mile in 57 seconds.
 Moisant Is IdoIixed
 John B. Moisant is the idol of the Cen tral American colony here. For years Moisant and his brother, A. J. Moisant were engaged in business enterprises in Honduras and other Central American republics, and they are both well known to the Latin Americans.
 War In Airships
 In order to show their high regard for Moisant, who Is known as ''the pride of Central America,'' members of the colony here will present the daring little aviator with loving cup about January i after the meet closes here
 Every citizen belonging to the coterie of Central Americans has given some \ thing toward the cup. Never before has any proposition so widely been taken up by them. A subscription paper passed among the poorer classes found dozens and dozens of signers who could afford to give more than 5 or 10 cents each, but they gladly gave all they could.
 The cup will be beautifully engraved and is to be one of the handsomest to- kens ever given an aviator anywhere. It will bear the legend: John B. Moisant, the glory of Central America"
 Tbe cup will be presented Mr. Moisant by Gen. Francisco Altshul, dean of the colony here, and one of the best known men of Central America.
 In an address today before the New Orleans Progressive Union, Alfred J. Moisant, president of the International aviators. declared that the aeroplane will be to nations what the revolver Is to belligerent individuals. placing them. big and small on an equal footing, so far as fighting is concerned"
 When the aeroplane is perfected" said MT. Moisant, ''the nation big in wealth and in population cannot longer bully and mistreat the smaller nation. With one or two aeroplanes hard blow could be dealt the bullying power by the small CT county at almost any time.
 MT. Moisant said the aeroplane will eventually make nations just in their dealings with each other. He deprecated the lack of interest displayed by the gov ernment of the United States in aviation and said this country is three years be- hind the European nations in experiment tai work with this new engine of war fare. And mark my word.'' he continued. '.the next war will be fought largely with aeroplanes."