Arizona republican., 1918-11-01
WAITING FOR LUKE DURING. THE NIGHT THE FAMOUS BOY. AVIATOR DID NOT RETURN
Graphic Picture of Phoenix
 Boys Last Nights Alp pearance Told By Chicago Tribune Correspondent
Exclusive To The Republican, lsf lREDERICK SMITH. CHICAGO
 TRIBUNE CABLE

Exclusive To The Republican, ltf FREDERICK SMITH. CHICAGO
 TRIBUNE CABLE
 CHICAGO. Oct. 31-The following aisnafch from Mir. Smith evidently has Ncrn held up by the censor. hoping for ,ofiu.tc word as To the fate of Lieut.. Frank Luhe Jr. The brilliant young aviator disappeared on September %, tat no announcement of this came over fHc cables until october 20.
 WITH THE FIRST AMERICAN -AltM1 ON THE ARGONNE-MEU FRONT. Oct 1.-(Delaycd)
 ln largo tent on a bleak. rain swept Lorraine hi, | passed the night with a H-ore of American ayiators. They sat about on tho edges of crude hunks. taking ln low touCs but always keep Inr eyes on tho flap at the end of the lent, facing the darkcncd aviation field. -At intervals a man would put on a fur Jacket and 20 out on the field. picking 1 routo with the aid of d pocket flash Ight- Occasionally a rocket lofted in- 1o tho dripping clouds. or a flare was cent ID, momcntarilv Illuminating the nrcary picture and casting dark shad Q eIvs about the looming hangars.
 Tho squadron was waiting for Lieu tenant Frank Luke, school boy from Phoenix. Arizona, who had gone over n1d had not come back. In the long ontns of training both at home and tp France. these airmen form friend ships which are cemented into rare r0mradeship when they reach the front, sud share the perils of the fighting line rl1a by side But Frank Luke not only had more than his share of these warm friendships. he had won the affection and admiration of the entire aviation section ot this army by his incompar- Th.e courage.
 Defied Death Often
 TO speak Luke's name in aviation hHuuts was To elicit instant word of praise for the boy who became an American leader in balloon destruction n tow days. following our smash at ~a Nihici Ton official and four still .rroufrmci conQuests had been writ ton Into luko's record before he went COB tHo last time. He announced he vas going Co drop a certain balloon. .rl an observer saw the huge sausage ai in flames halc an hour later.
 IrGucstiorahly the Arizona boy had eHnfcd into the German lines as often Nrlnro aud had defied all the death ealing defensive devices contrived for .sIoon protection. He has taken chances ou shrapnel which burst all HoIf Tho plane. as he swooped low to bump inccndiarv bullets into a captive E7e hnr Hc had disdained deluge of machine gun bullets whirring about the Vir- craft. He had smiled joyously Hrd seornfully at flaming onions iaurrhcd point blank Co bring him down, incinerated in his own speeding rrrc. Ho had anticipated to welcome Hftcr 1n these perils. the inevitable or caught by Roche plane or planes rush. .1r from a topsome cloud, intent or Idihug him before he could reach tho -afcty of hts own lines.
 Lost or Captured?
 Lake had done this repeatedly, some fnes coming home after dark ana r.rbirr nrecarious landing with tn, old of rockets and flares. sometimes ,inn Hnr the machine in SO doing.
 nHf last night Luke failed 10 conn fu. The rockets and flares of hi comrades were ready, but the hour wore 0n Today there was still the for 'Hu hope be would come roaring Ou U' tfe northern skies with some neV rroord or hairhrcadth escape Whei erfT-four hours passed and still m aachinC gun rattlcd it's signal for help fuI rockets. the squadron gave Luke ul ne having been shot down or takei frlsoncr. And nobody not knowin, Luke. can possibly appreciate wha That reluctant conclusion meant to hi loyal clng.
 some days or SO previous. ] talked L Luke and his flying comrade Joseph I Wehncr. Of Everett Mass. cabling frnrv on their daredevil enterprises Tho next day the first of the message That came 10 the press division told O Wchrers disappearance after fligh over the German lines. Wehner. tai dark handsome. full of courage an Inirit. a boy of %. was in interestin contrast Co his slender. blue-eye 19 losr-old ual. Wehner had saved Luke i'fe a fcv days previously when h fnot down a FoklIer that all but ha Lake n a scrap heap.
 Proud That They Are Americans
 Wchrer talked to me about Lux, end 1.aEo later confided Wehner wa ereaf err but too damned modest. Net ! could get little or nothing fror Luke about himself l thought whe r1akirg my way back over the sodde roads that night. I wished all Ameri rans could look into the laughing eve rf these two terrors to Germany obser ration balloons. and share with me tn profound pride that such men were fly inc planes bearing the American marl
 I also indulged in the hope the somehow might safely escape the in tcrsified danger such deeds as their rrtaiicd but knew only rare instance where death withholds his hand whe % nersistently and continuously floute, Whether prisoners or lying on som cold wooded hillside in these region where tragedy has trenched off boun fsries or her preserves, these boy Lake and Wehner. have earned the al He'd worlds endless devotion.
 The boys out In the windswept ter need have no misgivings that the mourn alone.