The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-20
Russian Naval Avia-
tor Who Overcame
Great Handicap
Now in This City
By CHLOE ARNOLD.

ing they had said that Lieut. Commander
Prokofieff- Seversky was to fly for the
fourth Liberty Loan on Russian day, but
before they could go into details a great
chorus Of sailors began singing "The Star
Spangled Banner" down in the grand
stand in Madison Square and every one
crowded to the windows to look.
People in the streets below stopped and
in reverent patriotism officers and men in
uniform stood at attention alongside civil
ians with barred heads. A breeze had
arisen and the colors Of the Allies I'M
furled on their stats. Far up Fifth ave-
nue. the magnificent spectacle Of a city in
patriotic decoration was yelled in the
violet mist; but about shop windows in
the near distance people crowded around
the war maps, look Of satisfaction upon
their faces. They commented upon the
number of men we have over there
Look" they said to one another, "at
the Allies colors in Berlin!"
Not Familiar With Russians.
A little later at his home in West 111th
street Prokofeff- Seversky finally an
swered the telephone. The reason it took
some time to get him was that the tele-
phone operator in the apartment building
said that they had no Russian officer in
the house; perhaps the person wanted was
the young man who, she thought, played
In some band. Her mistake was excus-
able, for one sees few uniforms of the
Russian naval air service here. They are
Of black cloth with gold insignia, cut like
the uniform Of our own naval officers ex-
eepting the rolling collar.
The people who live there must love
West 11lth street. AT one end they have a
verdant strip of park, at the other the
trees of Riverside Drive, and beyond,
through falling leaves now, they see the
blue shore Of. New Jersey. And this day
In the Hudson there appeared TO be a
masquerade of ships; some painted to rep
resent pierrots, some very like rollicking
clowns in the circus
Young Seversky's mother came to the
door. She herself looked young. Her
checks are pink, but her curling hair is
gray. because we have given her so
much trouble" her son explained later.
Just what this trouble was will he under
stood by mothers who have two sons in
the aviation service, as she has had since
1914.
The conversation had only begun when
6eversky started up.
"Hearr he said eagerly, 81 cannot sit"
Knew Il a. Scout Machine.
It was an airplane going over some
where near US, and the whirr of the engine
came loudly through the courts of the
large apartment building. He didn't
know, he said, what kind of machine it
was, but it was running beautifully. And
it was undoubtedly a scout machine, as it
had but one engine.
In their apartment one saw above tue
divan a print Of Foeh and one Of Per-
shing, and in a corner the Sword of st.
George and the blue and white flag which
had had many adventures with its owner;
but it was safe here, showing several bull
let holes from German machine guns.
It was only by great good fortune that
Prokofef- Seversky and his mother man
aged to get away through Siberia to
America five months ago. Where his
father, his little sister and his young
brother are he does not know; he has had
no word from them. He has grave fears
for his father and brother, who were Of
Heers IN the military aviation service.
His father, BARITONE in the Russian
opera, was a pioneer air pilot in Russia,
and in 1910 owned two airplanes, so that
when var came he had himself and his