The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-06-20
Rival Walton Organizations About to Start Bitter War:
Which Will Control American A piations is the Question

alton of America to be held in this
city for several days beginning We'd
nesday, June %, the first gun in a |
bitter war which will decide the con-
troll of future aviation meets in Amer
lea, will be fired
Aligned on one side are the two
above mentioned organizations. off |
springs Of the Aero club of America |
and founded by insurgent members of |
that body who were dissatisfied with !
the conditions. existing in the parent |
organization.
On the other side is the Aero club
of America the oldest organization
of its kind in the country. and which,
| it is claimed. is controlled absolutely
| by the financiers who own the Wright
company.
The recent remarkable achieve
ments of Glenn Curtiss and other we'll
known aviators. and the enormous
amount of prize money that is at pres
ent being offered by prominent news
papers for intercity flights, have all
combined to emphasize the import
ance of the coming convention.
| According to the leaders on both
sides, these flights can be sanctioned
| by whatever organization is selected
| by the papers, but officials of the Aero
club Of America. claim that no records
would be recognized, unless the flight
is sanctioned by that body.
| The main purpose of the convention
is the amalgamation Of all the aero
| ri, he in, int
ization-the name to be selected for
| the purpose of promoting the science
of aeronautics. All clubs in the Unit
ed States have received invitations to
join, including the Aero Club of Am
erica, but every organization will be
given an equal representation. This
| would eliminate the Aero Club of
America as the controlling factor in
aeronautics in this country. Accord
ing to present indications however,
the Aero club will make no application
to join the new organization. AS the
representative of the International
/ Aeronautic Federation, it has absolute
control of all international aviation
meets. and the leaders feel confident
that this will prove a most effective
weapon when the question of home
control arises.
The leaders of the opposing organ
izations, on the other hand, claim that
the new body will have a larger nat
ional representation than the Aero
Club of America, for this reason will
control all the aviation meets held in
this country. Their status will soon
be recognized by the International
Aeronautic Federation, and in this
way they hope to replace the Aero
club as the representative of the Unit
ed 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 Le-
wee and Mr.. G.. L. M. Borglum, were
dissatisfied with the administration,
and at the election held last Novem-
Der they put their own ticket in the
field in opposition to Mr.. Cortlandt
Field Bishop, the administration cam
didate AS most Of the votes were
cast by proxies, the insurgents ap-
piled to the courts for an Injunction
to prevent the use Of proxies, but their
application was denied. The regular
ticket was elected by good majority.
The insurgents kept up the fight,
however, and a month later brought
suit seeking to invalidate the cleo
tons, which is still hanging fire.
Later on they founded a new organ
ization and called it the American
Aeronautical association, which is one
of the bodies that is to join with the
Aeronautic Federation of America in
forming the new society. In April of
the present year. six prominent mem
bers of the club signed a letter re-
questing the resignation of Mr.. Bishop
from the office of president Nothing
came of it. however. and a few days
later Mr.. Bishop sailed for Europe to
make arrangements for the Internal
ional aviation meet to be held in this
country next fall. Before sailing, he
| SaiO CQaC ne naQ the assurance OF the
Wright company that they would not
prosecute foreign aviators for alleged
infringement upon their patents,
should they decide to come over and
compete.
AS forerunner to the present
movement, letter was sent out early
in May signed by Thomas A. Hill and
a number of other important insurg-
ents to all the aero clubs in the coun-
try asking the clubs not to attend the
convention of the Aero club held on
May %. The letter stated that the
officials of the Aero Club of America,
the Wright company anu other aerial
show promoters have combined in an
effort to exploit your club and your
community mainly for the profit of a
group of high financiers' who were
unpleasantly identified with the no.
torious traction trust in New York.
In another paragraph the letter
said:
You know that the notorious con-