Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-26
FRENCH "ACE" SHOWS
MODESTY OF HEROISM
lieutenant Flachare Disclaims
Any Merit in Bringing
Down Hun Planes
"BOCHE LOST HIS NERVE
Flies From Washington in Hour and
Twenty Minutes on Way to
4 New York

"hnd this one. oh. this is just tue
croix de Gucrrc they gave me once for
bringing down a German plane without
Gas or bullets The bochc, he just lost
bis---what you call it--neff when he see
! was after him He was just plain
coward
y Co does Lieutenant Georges Flachare
.nce' and hero of the French aviation
rorps. attempt to explain away the third
and most impressive of the glistening
badges ON his breast Yes, 1t is that
of the five palm leaves. each bearing
,Iootient witness to some deed of mo-
& table valor in the air" So much he
cannot deny
4 But tell in mere words the history
of those five silent battles, 1900 feet
aloft Sooner. far sooner would he
4 face death from q Hun plane than n
battery Of American cameras and inter-
viewers pencils. Medals are things to be
worn. not talked Of
81 made the trip over here from Wash.
lngton in one hour and twenty minutes.
1ying at an altitude of about one thou
sand feet" the lieutenant divulged with
a great breath of relief. once the I'M
mnent danger of being asked To talk ou
expect to do some low crcing over
League Island Park this afternoon
y close to the ground so that all can see.
The marines are down there now guard
ing my machine"
He landed here yesterday afternoon in
the first lap of his flight from Washing
ton to Mineola- New York.
"The only thing | missed on my flight
from Washington here was the sight OF
tiny. bird-lilie planes i'm the air that,
when they grew larger. turn into Taubes
saw several buzzards and hawks in the
distance and for time they brought me
back to the fighting fields of France. but
they didn't grow larger and larger as
they came nearer. I'm rather glad they
didn't, although in all the flights | have
had I have never had time to think of
far | intend to stay in Philadelphia
for four days and will then go on back
TO New York"
Rested and relaxed after night 5
sleep at the Bellevue Stratford. the lieu.
tenant has found time today TO run
through the war news, but nothing
he read there dismayod him in the
least
"The French people discouraged ," He
brushed aside the suggestion with a
laugh Of contempt. How could they he
under such leadership as that of Glenn
enceau and Petain""
In prououncing the names. his eyes
kindled II greater tribute than words
1T is hard, Of cOurSc-he Caugse a quick
Z breathe think of those demon guns
Z only sivty-seveu miles outside of Paris
But never fear Paris is eternal"
That the present grave but by nc
means menaCing. crisis OF his nation
may end the ar much sooner than has
been looked for seems to the lieutenant
very possIUie. And even if not-"lm
possible the word is not French" ht
borrowed the historic phrase of the
little corporal" admittedly the first
Of his heroes since his schoolboy days
at Nice.
Not more but better aviators are
sCrely needed by the British aviation
forces. "If I can persuade just a few
Of the finest of your young men to en-.
list, the object of my trip shall be mor'
than accomplished" said the lieutenant
But not just anybody will do" h,
explained shyly. ''It takes something
of a man"
Just turned twenty-five himself, the
lieutenant has served in the war sine,
It's very outbreak, bringing down of
ficially twelve enemy arpl6ncs. beside!
many informal flights lie has received
IN all four medals. the Legion of Honor
the Medaille Miltairc, the CroiX d,
Guerre and the English Military Medal
He has been in this country since las
September