New-York tribune., 1911-01-11
STATUE Of LIBERTY
] PRIZE. IN. \. ABE:YANCE |! B:
international Federation, Which
Heard Grahame-Wh Pro-
test, Refers Matter Here
ON MINOR TECHNICALITY
Members of American Clab Be-
,lieve if Moisant's s Heirs Do Not
Get $4,000, Prize Will Be
Returned to. ME-. Ryan.


Paris. Jan. lO-No more interesting and
apparently complicated question has ever
cpme up before the International Aeronau-
tIcsl Federation than that which was dis
cnssed at a special meeting held here to-
day. relating 10 the award OF the Ryan
$4,000 Statue of Liberty prize at the Bel
mont Park meeting in. October 10 the late
john B. Molsant.
Without passing upon the question of the
winner Of this prize. the federation adopted
q resolution that the changes made in the
regulations governing ,the contest did not
conform yith4Asrjcie p Of; the bylaws Of
the Inteynae9nar Eederati9n, which pro.
vides that no chaiges,can be made insthe
rules of a contest after their publication
unless ratified by the sports committee;
The whole matter. "a tAerefore ~hes been re-
ferred back TO the Aero club of America
for new classification and results"
The actual effect which the federaton's
action will have on the controversy is not
entirely clear The English delegates as
sert that 1t means the disqualification Of
Mo!sant. Hititbe' nApis poaTl delegates insiat
that it merely Signifies the reopening Of
the controversy.
The change in the regulations consisted
IN the abandonment of the condition that
each contestant fS1SKt slsaVs flown for lone
hour previous to the actual fight 10 the
Statue Of Liberty and return. d"
The American delegates. were not able to-
Gay 10 prove thatIhis chanfe Mas ratified
by the sports committee. Hence the fed
Grafton has upheld Grahame- Whites pro-
test on that point. II is admitted, that
Moisant did not fly for one hour. as pre-
scribed by the original, regulations, and
the representatives, Of the Royal Aero Club
o. Great Britain. TO which .Grahame- White
submitted his original protest. claim that
Moisant was on this aceosntrbarred as the
winner.
1t is also pointed out sby the American
delegates that as the resolution remands
the whole question 10 the Aero Club Of
America for reconsiderauop. and a new
finding, any objection thereto must be
lodged with that association, after which
an appeal may be made TO the Interna-
uonal Aeronautic Federation. They have
hopes that the reopening of the case will
reYeal evidence that the sports committee
ratified the change and expressed the
opinion that Sports committee" might
mean either the aviation committee Of the
meeting or the committee Of the Aero Club.
The Swiss delegates voted with the Ameri-
cans ~, - o.; &C.
The Federation. decided that It had no
authority g Seo3sfdef' the protest made by
the Lower. Rhine Aeronautic Association
AGAINST the awatd ;of;rhe international ball
ioon~trophy TO Alan i, Hawley and Au-
gustus Post, the American contestants. on
the ground that the protest should first be
lodged with the Aero Club of America.
. The conditions governing the contest for
the Gordon Bennett International Aviation
Cup were amended so th44 heraaftea she
distance will be 80 kitometres. Instead Of
100. with the further specification that the
contest must he held in an aerodrome.
I The Federation rejected the American
proposal that aeroplanes must, be con-
Ftructed in the countries under 'which they
hre entered ruling that this ,Question must
Iirst be submitted 20 a committee
(, il had been expected that the Swiss. Aero
Club would lodge a protest against the
Hawley-Post balloon, but no protest was
Forthcoming. merely a suggestion with ref
erence to future international: contests
The American delegates to the federation
meeting are Major T. Bentley Mott. mill
tary attache here; Hart O., Berg, Eugene
Higgins, Edgar W. Mix and I,orillard Rom
aids.