The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1917-05-31
PACIFIC COAST
FLYER TEACHES
AMERICANS AIR
FIGHTING GAME
(BY UNITED PREss).


when the aeroplane was a county fair
novelty. fighter with Carranza, in
Mexico member of the La Fayette
Escardrille in France and recipient or
the French War Cross and Military
Medal, is burning to get back into the
firing line.
Mason was such a good aviator
that the French authorities made
him Professor OF Aviation" 1t
isn't exciting enough for the veteran
birdman. he told the United Press in
Paris today.
Mason 70 a dean OF the college for
American aviators. candidates for the
Lafayette Escadrille. Camp d'Avord
where he has more than fifty of Amer
Ica's young aviation blood under his
tutelage When the young would-be
birdmen pass the initial tests. medi-
cal moral and otherwise in Paris
they are sent to Mason. First they
"hy'' a Penguin. a little short
winged machine which cannot rise
from the ground II they have the
'knaek", Mason tells them so. II not
he also tells them so and they are in
vited to step out of line and make
room for more promising material
I'VE have our good material and
bad material Mason said today.
The business of flying in war isn't
like the work We aviators used TO do
in America. I remember the time
when I was one OF the first men to
ny over Frisco and Los Angeles and
10 make ;he air trip from Los Ange-
les TO San Bernardino. Crowds OF
people stood with open mouths to
watch the wonderful performance.
The newspapers printed big stories
and my picture on the first pages
That was peace aviation War avia-
tion Is different Take these young
sters who come over to France to fy
and nght They soon realize that no
crowds are going TO stand and gap. no
newspapers are going to print col
umns about them. Its their busI-
ness to fight the Bosche and they
soon have to reaiizs that no exhibit
ton flying Is wanted"
Back In 1918 Mason was Carran-
za's whole aerial fleet. Stationed
In Sonora and with no rigid military
rules to hamper him. he used to hy
over the Mexican hills and make Il
hot for any rebel band that he en-
countered. For whole month he
tried day after day to drop home
made bombs on a rebel gunboat. But
the gunboat always escaped. One
day Mason had engine trouble near
Guymas. He had to desert his ma
chine and fly on foot Several days
after he marched with the CarranEa
troopers who routed the rebels and
retook the aeroplane.
But Mason who came to France in
Oct 1914. and flew with French divi-
sions until the Lafayette Escadriiie
was organized is today supplied with
all the latest aero apparatus. He puts
his American students thru the PAGES
and then sends them to Pau. the big
aviation school near Pyrenees where
they learn the iatest acrobatic stunts.
gyraiions designed to confuse the
enemy in aerial combats. Some Of
Masson'a best students who have
recently graduated to Pau. Mason
said today. are Charles II. Dolan. 20
of Boston. te7 Hancock St): Robert
l.. Dea=e. 30 Santa Barbara. Cal.
(s1i East Victoria St.-Donze was
born in Phiiadelphial. J. p. Dooiittle
-. New York City. former Chica-
, goan. 1889 Grand Concourse ST.. N.
W Henry Greet Jones. 25 Hartford.
Penn. and Dabney Horton. Cambridge
Mass.
"These boys learned to fly in about
eight days." said Mason. Some
times il takes students OF other ma
tionalities eighty days, but Ameri'
cans. as a rule. are quick at the avia-
tion game. Jones and Horton. es-
pecially took to the air like ducks to
water and made records which will
be hard to beat. All OF these men
viii he In the war game soon"
While Mason. little man. dress
I'd in a modest French uniform with
two medals hanging on his breast.
is satisfied with himself as a "pro-
fessor" OF aviation he thinks he would
be a greater success in the sterner
game at the front. When the United
Press met him today he was trying
to convince the Frrnch Lieutenant In