The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1918-04-26
AMERICAN FACES DEATH TO GET
OPPORTUNITY AS MANUFACTURER
Story Of Meteoric Rise Of Man From Poverty to Leading Builder Of
AirpIanes in ~Engand-Wthout a Penny, He Joins British
Army and Deliberately Breaks Rules to Employ
Talents in More Effective Service.

London.-With oil OF its cases
OF meteoric rises from poverty
and humblcness to wealth and sue
cess, the United States furnishes
nothing striking than that
OF J. A. Whitehead. president OF
the Whitehead Aircraft company OF
England, but It should be stated that
Mr.. Whitehead. though q Britisher
now, has American citizenship papers
and got his business training In San
Francisco.
Unknown two years ago. Mr.. White
head now IL . 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
a small hOtelkeeper In n London sub
urb. Now he owns the biggest air.
plane factory in Great Britain and has
under his ownership 45O acres Of fac
tory buildings and airdromes. His first
pay roll was $50 Il week, with borrow.
ed money. His pay roll now Is $780,
600 a week. He recently obtained per-
mission from the treasury department
Of England to increase his capitalism
ton by $5,0O0,0OO, 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.
Airplane 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 MI 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.
Furthermore, Mr.. Whitehead says
that the day the war Is over be win
start machines on 4 flight to New
York, and he has no doubt that within
II 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.
It n, Of course. not possible to 50
into details In describing the alrplane
works which Mr.. Whitehead has built.
It il one OF the wonder spots OF Eng.
land, and the thousands Of employees
whom / nav at their work one day
this week + turning out these "syee
Of the army" at ! rate which may well
cause alarm to the Huns, who perhapa
. eoo0 a. anyone else realized that
the great war would be won ID the alr.
Nj. whitehead believes TINT the war
WIN ~ won IN the mir, and be says
there u no question that the English
manufacturer. supplemented 81 his
American Industrial captain. Will pro
vide the machines which will give the
allles ~ overwhelming superiority.
AZ I recent luncheon given At Mr.
Whitehead's home Buccleuch housA,
o. the Thames. ~ tpld privately The
etosy u his saASvel0ss career. T1lis 4
HI:
osnteNeed = - Shot
AZ ne cufbreak of the war Mr.
Whlteheod, the1 On The sunny Id ~
oogty. No. T. Sas FfnncJsco JuStseet-
~ - NJ 1T afJes : :Sather edsea-
m9Q0Wpegt1nce mich I'D taheashlD
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