The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-05-30
SHOWS AMERICANS
AIR-FIGHTING GAME
Pacific Coast Flyer Professor
to Young Birdmen.
MASON PREFERS FIRING LINE
Veteran Aviator Urges French to
Send Him to Front.

PARIS, May 3o-Didier Mason. OF
Los Angeles, one of the Oldest OF Nv
ing American aviators OF the days
when the aeropIane was a county fair
novelty, fighter with Carranza, In
Mexico, member OF the Lafayette Es-
cadrille in France and recipient OF the
French war cross and military medal.
is burning to get back into the nring
line
Mason was such a good aviator
that the French authorities made him
a professor OF aviation" 1t isn't ex-
citing enough for the veteran bird
man, he told the United Press in Paris
today.
Mason is a dean of the college for
American aviators, candidates for the
Lafayette EscadrIlle, at Camp d'Avord,
where he has more than fifty OF
Americas young aviation bloods I'M
der his tutelage. When the young
would-be birdmen pass the initial
tests. medical, moral, and otherwise,
in Paris, they are sent to Mason.
First they "hy' a Penguin" little
short-winged machine which cannot
rise from the ground. II they have
the "'knack." Mason tells them so. II
not, he also tells them so, and they
are invited to step out of line and
make room for more promising ma
terial.
1--WE 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 remember the time
when 1 was one OF the first men to
fly over Frisco and Los Angeles and
to make the air trip from Los Angeles
to San Bernardino. Crowds of people
stood with open mouths to watch the
wonderful performance. The news
papers printed big stories and my pic
ture on the first pages. That was
peace aviation. War aviation Is diff
ferent. Take these youngsters who
come over to France to-fly and fight.
They soon realize that no crowds are
going to stand and gap. no news
papers are going % print columns
about them. It's their business to
fight the Bosche and they soon have
to realize that no exhibition flying is
wanted"
Dropped Bombs In Mexico.
Back in 1918 Mason was Carranza's
whole aerial feet. Stationed in So
- anu TN IA6
y hamper him, he used to fly over the
Mexican hills and make II hot for any
rebel bands that he encountered For
q whole month he tried day after day
to drop homemade bombs on n rebel
gunboat. But the gunboat always es-
capped One day Mason had engine
trouble near GuaymAs.' He had to de-
sert his machine and fly on foot Sew
Aaua Iafa he
Carranza troopers, who routed the
rebels and retook the aeroplane.
But Mason, who came to France
in October. 1914, and new with French
air divisions until the Lafayette Es-
cadrille was organized, is today sup
piled with all the latest aero appa-
ratus. He puts his American students
through the PAGES, and then sends
them TO Pau. the big aviation school
near the Pyrenees, where they learn
the latest acrobatic stunts, gyratIons
designed 70 confuse the enemy In
aerial combats. Some OF Masson's best
students who have recently graduated
to Pau, Mason said today. are Charles
H. Dolan, twenty-five, of Boston, 81
Hancock street: Robert L. Dome,
twenty-three, Santa Barbara, Cal. Ala
East Victoria street Dome was born
in PhiIadeIphiaD: ]. P. DoolittIe,
twenty-four, New York city, a former
Chicagoan. 1882 Grand Concourse
street. New York: Henry Jones,
twenty-five, Hartford, Pa. and Dab
ney Horton, Cambridge. Mass
Learn Game In Eight Days.
These boys learned to fly in about
eight days" Mason said. Sometimes
It takes students of other nationalities,
eighty days, but Americans, as a
rule. are quick at the aviation game.
Jones and Horton, especially. took to
the air like ducks to water, and made
records which will be hard to beat.
All of these men will be in the war
game soon.
While Mason. little man, dressed
in a modest French uniform with two
medals hanging on his breast. is sat
isned with himself as professor" OF