The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-04-21
M0ISANT SAYS
THAT END OF
WAR IS NEAR
Mayor Buckingham Delivers
Welcome Address to Aero
Club of Connecticut
A. Holland Forbes, Master Bal
lO0nist, Presides as Toastmas-
ter-MOdel Balloon Shown

ter-MOdel Balloon Shown
A hundred men sat at the first ban
quet of the Aero Club of Connecticut,
in the Stratf1eld, last night. The din
Ing room was beautifully decorated.
The most interesting event was the
speech by Alfred T. Moisant, in which
he declared that the aeroplane makes
war impossible.
Among the guests and SPEAKERS were
some of the men who have made bal
looming and flying famous throughout
the world. AT the close there was an
exhibition of two reels Of moving pic
lures showing some of the events at
the meet at Belmont park last fall,
some of the pictures sh owing four Of
the planes in the air at one time.
The dining room was very tastefully
decorated with cut flowers at all Of the
tables, while over the speakers table
were models Of spherical and dirig1ble
balloons, the latter a model Of one sold
to the U. S. government by Captain
Thomas A. Baldwin, and also a model
of a biplane. In the basket of the
spherical balloon one Of the hotel kit
tens took a more or less imaginary
flight.
1t was nearly o'clock before all Of
] the guests were seated at the tables
and the serious business of the BAN
quet was commenced. An excellent
menu had been provided and the ser
vice was all that could be desired.
Welcomed BY Mayor.
A. Holland Forbes, president Of the
Aero Club of Connecticut, was the
! POSTMASTER Of the evening and acQuit.
ted himself with credit BY his side
was seated Allan A. Ryan, president
] of the Aero Club OF America, and at
the table was Mayor E. T. Bucking-
ham of this city. who extended the
welcome of the municipality to the
| members of the club and their guests.
! AS guests of the club and the members
were many from Hartford, New Haven
and other cities of the state, and many
of the prominen+ men of the city,
| some of them members of the club.
| Shortly after 9 O'Clock POSTMASTER
Forbes raped for order and saying it
was the first stated NEE ting of the
Aero Club of Connecticut, called for a
report from the various officers. These
reports showed the club having about
$50 members, balance of nearly
$500 in the treasury. and the affairs
of the club in good condition. Presi-
| dent Forbes said the club was only an
infant, but was growing He referred
to the lack of interest in this country
i in aviation. saying there are only 26
/ licensed aviators in lis country while
France alone has more tnan 400 and
Il all Europe nearly 1900. He said the
II contest committee ie trying to arrange
for meets in this o.tv during July or
August, and in Hartford IN Septmber.
He also referred to the proposed exhi-
bition by the Curtiss aviators to take
place here next N onth He said the
future of the club looked very bright.
Mr.. Forbes also spoke of the bill
presented at Hartf. rd calling for the
registration of av'etors, said it Is ex-
pected to pass, and that Connecticut
leads the way in legislation for the
81 tot Or, T. n ~ yfcy1,
interference, but regulation of the
sport. President Taft and Governor
Baldwin, he said, are honorary men,
| bers of the club, and both had been
invited to be present. President Taft
sent a letter saying 1t was impossible
for him to come hut he wished the
club success and sent an autographed
photograph of himself for the club. A
previous engagement prevented the at
tendance of Governor Baldwin.
Governor Baldwin. he said, takes
deep interest in aviation and urged
the passage of law regulating it.
Congratulates Club.
Mayor Buckingham was the first to
answer a toast and extended the greet
ings of Bridgeport TO the club, saying
the president of the club is SO close to
Bridgeport that she may claim him as
her own. The aviation problem is not
entirely new, he said. and he referred
and downs of the elevator man and or
the politician, when t is necessary to
see the imam higher up and the
fights of some OF the club members
greeting their wives after an evening
out.
i He congratulated the club upon it's
success, thanked them for holding the
first banquet in Bridgeport, and hoped
! thew would come Agf in soon. He de-
clined to give the keys of the city as
some one might fly away with them
but assured all OF the freedom while
remaining here.
Aero Club President Speaks.
Allan A. Ryan of New York, presi-
dent of the Aero Club of America, said
he came to the dinnrF under a promise
from President Forbes that he would
not be called upon to speak, c1assed
Forbes as very unreliable and warned
the club to elect = different president
at the first opportunity He congrat-
ulated Connecticut upon the organiza-
| ton of so healthy club. welcomed it
into the National organization, and
said it is the aim of the Aero Club Of
America to promote aviation as a
| sport and to keep 4 from CONNER
cialism and hoped the Connecticut
| club would never allow it to creep in.
| Captain Thomas Scott Baldwin, one
| of the older of the aViators in the ball
looming field, gave Il very interesting
account OF trip 10 Japan and CHINA
with two companions, ending only a
short time ago. Many flights and ex-
hibitions were given and at one place
in Japan there We're 100000 paid adj
missions. The trip lasted nearly five
months altogether and the distance
travelled was 200 miles. He spoke
of aviation as a science, said the dan
ger is largely imaginary, and that with
skill and experience most of the dan
gers can be avoided, and that it is
really no more dangerous than auto
MODELLING or railroading He said he
hoped soon to give an exhibition be-
fore the members of the club.
Makes War Impossible.
Alfred T. Moislnt was assigned to
speak of aviation as i commercial en-
terprise. He pointed out the great
progress which this science has made
in Europe, largely thr ough the inter-
ests of the governments and for mill
tary purposes. He FIST became inter-
ested about year ago when his broth
err made a flight to London, and since
then he has been much interested
With the developme CT the aero
plane he contendsl that war will soon
be impossible, thlt Ike strong nation
will no longer be ane to enforce it's
demands upon the weak, and that if
at the time of the Civil wal aeroplanes
had been in use the conflict would
never have occurred and the slavery
question would have been settled in
some other manner and perhaps more
justly. Now in war the strongest
l.