The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-24
Leaders In New Sport Fight
for Control Of Meets
AERO CLUB RENT AsuNDER
Two ORGANIZATIONS Have Been Formed
which VIII Contest Right of Aero
Club to Control All Ameri-
can Flights

New York, June 35.--'Speciai,'
a Joint convention of the American
Aeronauticar association and the Aero
nautic Federation ofeAmerica' which Is
being held in this city, the flrstj gun
In a bitter. war which will decide the
control of future aviation meets In
America. has been lired. e
Aligned on one side are the two
above mentioned organ izations. on
springs of the Aero Club of America
and founded by insurgent members OF
that body who We're dissatisfied WIN
the conditions existing in tho paren,
organization.
On the other side Is the Aero Clup
of America, the Oldest organization OF
its kind in the country, and which, IL
is claimed, is controlled absolutely py
the financiers who own the wright
company.
The recent remarkable achievements
bv Glenn Curtiss and other we'll known
ayiators and the enormous amount Oh
nrize money that is at present being
offered bv prominent newspapers Tor
inter-city flights, have all combines TO
empha size the importance OF the COM
ing convention.
According to the leaders on poth
sides these flights can be sancti"heo
bv whatever organization is selecteo
by the papers. but officials oil the Aero
c,uh of America claim that no records
would he recognized unless the Night
is sanctioned by that body
Purpose of Convention
The main purpose of the convention
is the amalgamation of all the aero
c,ubs in the country into one orgnh-
"a tion-the name to be selected for me
p,frposs. of promoting the science oi
Iaeronautics All clubs In the United
states have receive dinvitations to Join
Including, the Aero Club of America
but every organization will be given an
equal representation. This would eiini-
mate the Aero Club OF America as
the controlling factor In aeronautics III
this country According to present IN
a,cations. however, the Aero club VIII
,naLe no application to join the new
organization. AS the representative of
tho Internationa Aeronauttc Fedora
ton 1t has absolute control oil all ~
ternational aviation meets and the lead
ers feel confident that this Will prove
most effective weapon when the
question of home control arises.
The leaders of the opposing organ' l.
zations on the other hand claim that
the new body will have a larger ma
tional representation than the Aero
club of America, and for THIS reason
will control all the aviation meets heio
In this country Their status Will soon
be recognized by the lnternatiohnl
Aeronautic Federation and in this way
they hope to replace the Aero CLUB
as the representative of the United
states. They state, however, that they
will not attempt to interfere with the
international aviation meet which Is
to be held in this country next October
when the contest will be held for the
international cup which was won by
Glenn Curtiss at Rheims.
The formation of the new organiza
ton is the elimination of bitter
fight that has been going on in the
Aero Club of America for two years. A
small group headed by Thomas A. Hill
Wilbur r. Kimball. Charles Levee and
Mr.. G. l.. M. Dorglum werc dissat-
isfied with the administration and at
the election held last November they
put their own ticket in the field In
opposition to Mr.. Cortlandt Field Bish-
on. the administration candidate. AS
most all the votes were cast by prox-
iaJ IN the
for an injunction to prevent the use
of proxies, but their application was
denied. The regular ticket was elect
ed by good majority. The insurgents
kept UP the fight, however, and month
later brought suit seeking to invalidate
the elections, which is still hanging
fire.
New Organization
Later on they founded a new organiza-
ton and called 1t the American Aero
nautical association, which is one of the
bodies that is to join with the Aero
nautic Federation of America in forming
the new society. In April of the present
wear six prominent members of the club
signed a letter requesting the resignation
of Mr. Bishop from the Office of president
Nothing came of it, however, and few
days later Mr.. Bishop sailed Tor Europe tC
make arrangements for the international
aviation meet to be held in this country
next fall Before sailing he said that he
had the assurance Of the Wright com
pany that they would not prosecute Tor
eign aviators for alleged infringement
upon their patents, should they decide
to come over and compete
As forerunner to the present move
ment letter was sent out early In MAY
signed by Thomas A. Hill and a number
of other important insurgents to all the
aero clubs In the country asking the club,
not to attend the convention OF the Acre
club held on May 25. The letter stated
that 'the officials of the Aero Club Of
| America. the Wright company and othe,
aerial show promoters have combined il
an effor. to exploit your club and vou
/ community mainly for the Profit cf
sroun ~ 'hioh f-arcie~~' ~''n -.
pleasantly identified with the notorlou
traction trust In New York.
In onother paragraph the letter SAID;
You know that the notorious contrac
between the Wright company and th
Aevo Club of America as we'll as the eY
orbitant demands Of the Wright Exhibi
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