The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-11-01
Tangle Threatens to Leave
American "SportSmanShip"
a Mere Byword.
DREXEL RESIGNS
FROM AERO CLUB
Juggling of Rules to Allow MoiS-
ants Victory to Stand" Cause
of Trouble.

NEW YORK, Nov. More aerOplanes
than records were smashed at the inter
national aviation meet which conclud-
ed in a snarl. that today threatens TO
make American "sportmanship" a by
word in Europe.
The resignation Of J. Armstrong
Drexel from the Aero Club of America.
because OF what he termed a Juggling
OF the rules" to prevent Claude era
hame-White from winning the $4,000
Statue Of Liberty contest, meets with
the approval OF most of the aviators
who participated in the meet
Dfexel a millionaire sportsman, sac
rificed time and money to return 20 his
native land and periodically 10 endeavOr
to win laurels for America. But he was
embittered when he saw rules made,
apparently on the spur of the moment
that debarred foreigners from wrestling
the big prize from John 3. Moisant.
Drexel attaches no whit Of blame to
MOisant- On the other hand, he praises
this daring little American, who, like
himself, sacrificed much TO fight fer his
country in the air.
Grahame-White made himself very I'M
popular during the meeting but this did
not excuse the aviation committee, Il IS
claimed, for framing rules that barred
him from defeating Moisant.
Original Rules.
The original rules for the Statue Of
Liberty prize were very simple. They
called for Thursday, October q, be
tween 2:45 D. m. and 3:45. between
which time the aviator must essay
the flight, having but one provision.
that the aviators must have remained
In the air at least an hour on some day
previously. so as to prove capability.
Sunday, October %, the second day OF
the meeting, the wind blew a gale and
flights were impossible. 1t was Official
~ announced that for that reason the
meet would go one day longer, Mon
day, October 81 Up 10 Thursday, Ora
name hlte was the only aviator par
ticipating in the Statue Of Liberty
flight who had made the necessary hour
Night TO qualify But on Thursday a
gale was blowing and the Statue OF
Liberty flight was out of the question.
The aviation committee thereupon an
ncunced that the hour restriction was
removed, and added that the flight
might 6e made any day Of the meet.
Newspaper men and spectators plain
~ heard the announcement that Mon
udy was Included IN this cause There
was no limit 70 the number Of fights
any aviator might make. On the other
hand, II was generally understood that
this limit was carefully omitted so that
one aviator might make the fight a
number Of times to keep up interest
White Protests.
Grahane-White protested against
opening the flight to all, declaring he
had endangered his machine to make
the necessary flight Of one hour. His
protest was overTuled. Last Sunday, in
his 10O-hOrsepower Bleriot racer, Ora
hame-White made the flight. going by
a circuitous route. Moisant in a ma
chine he bought on the spot, few
straight and defeated Grahame-yVhite
by less than minute; thereupon Ora
Hame-White Immediately announced
his intention Of flying again. The COM
mittee then ruled that Monday would
be closed, as this was not a POSTPONED
day, but special day" despite the
previous announcement that the statue
contest would continue over Monday.
over all protests, MOisant was
awarded the prize Grahame-White in
dtgnant, then challenged MOiSant to Nv
again for a side bet OF SlO,O00, but eau
uously specified that he was to use his
10O-hOrsepower racer and Moisant was
70 use a 50-hOrsepower machine. Such
q flight, under such UNEQUAL conditions
would have been a fOregone conclusion,
ana Moisant naturally refused &c acceTt
the challenge unless he was permitted
TO secure a 1OC-horsepower machine
But I Will meet the Englishman at
any time on equal terms" he said
Only one worlds record was estab-
Hshed at the meeting. Ralph JohnstOne
In baby Wright biplane. late yester-
day assembled 9,7l4 feet, and for an hour