The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1915-05-13
"Peace Fhers" Hate War and
Refuse to Fight in The Air

WITH THE GERMAN ARMY.
May 10 There's personal rea
son for not giving the name Of
the man who tells this story. A
perfectly personal reason. In peace
times he is-he was-An exhibition
flyer He used to get out with his pet
plane and cut aerial didoes over gap
ing towns Just before the war he
toured England, and shortly before
that he had flown over Paris on 4
trip To Berlin. He thinks that II his
name Is used he may have difficulty
In getting engagements when the war
Is over
Personally | do not think that when
the war In over he will have any need
for engagements. But there was no
use In saying 80 TO him
The man In the Bleriot was very
unpleasant" said he "A mere bOor
Probably an III bred person who had
come mp from the ranks
II appears that the peace fliers'
regard themselves aud are regarded as
civilian employees Of the army In the
field, although they have the rank
and privileges Of an officer. They are
men who before the war were pr0fss,
s!Onal fllers The different (gcserp.
ments paid them retainers for kss
call upon their services II war shobld
ever come. Few Of them thoaSdt that
I nt.V
80 we 60 out now and do our day $
work, Just like the regular army
fliers," said he Except that We do
not fight We are not hired to fight,
There isn't great deal OF fighting
In the air, anyhow, in spite Of all the
talk about It. Few Of the German OF
French planes were armed at the be.
ginning Of the war The English put
machine pun ON one type OF their
planes, and the Germans were forced
to similarly arm their planes, which
In turn, forced the French 10 put ma
chine guns on some Of theirs Il all
involved a great deal OF rebuilding aud
experimenting But that In no art Of
this story.
They Don't Wanto Kill.
we don't want OF fight" said the
aviator why should wet We lOOh
at the other fellow Just as we used IA
do when he was flying against us IN
sport We don't want to kill him"
So that the fliers--he says this ap
plies to all the peace fllers' Of all
armies 90 out lnnocently 10 DO 3
days work. Many OF them do not ever
carry rifles on their machines. They
sail about over the enemys lines
while the observer keeps his head
canted over the side Of the car watch
ing what Is going on below Most ol
the time they are being shot at BY
shrapnel II isn't so very unpleasant
he SAYS. Being 20 far up In the all
they cannot hear the sund Of the guns
Now and then shrapnel burst 30 neal
them that the plane Ia Jolted, just Al
when ear hits a thank-ye ma'am II
a New England road OF course, nov
and then plane Ia shot out OF th'
air. hut he didn't refer to that
When we get through with th'
days work we ny home again" sale
he, like pigeons"
The German fliers often cross tn
aerial path OF the French fliers OF
this homeward flight During the ds,
they avoid each other as much ss pos
slble A fight might be forced upoI
them II they 60 too neighborly. Blu
At night the German flier and tn,
French filter often wave their hand
at each other Sometimes they pursu,
the same course few hundred fee
apart-for some minutes, and sepa rat
with friendly gestures aud heartfelt
good wishes.
You see,' sald he, simply, we arr
so glad TO get home again safe
On this night he was coastins dow
from a great altitude when be met
Rlerlot. Some distance behind va