The Tomahawk., 1918-05-02

London.-With all of its cases
of >Cmeteoric rises from poverty
and humbleness to wealth and sue
cess, the United States furnishes
nothing more striking than that
Of J. A. Whitehead, president Of
the Whitehead Aircraft company o.
England, but it should be stated that
Mr.. Whitehead, though Britisher
now, has American citizenship papers
and got his business training In San
Francisco. |n.y .''~E.
Unknown two years ago, Mr.. White
head now Is one Of the most promi-
nent men in Great Britain, and In its
Industrial life is easily one Of the most
shining figures. He started his career
two and a half years ago with no
asset in the world except credit with
small hotelkeeper in London sub
urb. Now he owns the biggest air.
plane factory In Great Britain and has
under his ownership $50 acres Of fac
tory buildings and airtlromes. His first
pay roll was $35 week, with borrow
ed money. His pay roll now is $780,
600 week. He recently obtained per-
mission from the treasury department
of England to increase his capitaliza-
ton by $1,000, 900, and so complete was
the confidence of English investors In
his ability to make good" that the
amount was subscribed before the
bonds were issued. - ...s 49,
"a ~ Airnlane Vet in Infancy.
Mr.. Whitehead is q far seeing man.
He says the airplane business, despite
its magical development during war
time, is just in its infancy; that when
the war is over there will be flying
machine services for mail and pas
sengers and expresses all over the
world, and that where thousands OF
machines are required now tens OF
thousands will be needed after the
war. He predicts that the airplane In
dustry will see the same wonderful
transformation that the automobile IN
dustry experienced some twenty years
back. s..-.- a-5E.--
Furthermore, Mr.. Whitehead says
that the day the war IS over he Will
start machines on flight to New
York, and he has no doubt that within
a short time he will have established,
in cooperation with others, a regular
mail service between the metropolis OF
Europe and the metropolis OF the
western hemisphere. 49,
II IA. OF course, not possible to 80
into details in describing the airplane
works which Mr.. Whitehead has built.
It Is one of the wonder spots OF Eng.
land. and the thousands of employees
whom I saw at their work one day
this week are turning out these "eyes
| OF the army" ut . ate which may well
cn,se alarm to the Huns, who perhaps
"A soon as anyone else realized that
the great war would be won In the air.
Mr.. Whitehead believes that the wal
will he uon In the air, and he says
there is no question that the English
manufacturer, supplemented by his
American Industrial captain. will pro-
vide the machines which Will give the
allies an overwhelming superiority.
At a recent luncheon given Mt MT
Wh,tehead's home, Buccleuch house
on the Thames, he told privately the
| ..orv OF his marvellous career. This Is
It:
Sentenced to BE Shot.
At the outbreak of the war Mr.
| whitehead. then on the sunny side OF
| forty. was In Saa Francisco Just get
| t,nc on his fee, ..ter d rather adven
| tnrous experience which had taken hin
to all parts Of the world and In q Wal
| cave him the reputation, as he now
bumorousiy says, Of . ''black sheep.