The Elbert County tribune. [volume] (Elbert, Elbert County, Colo.) 18??-1920, 1918-04-26
AMERICAN FACES DEATH TO GET
OPPORTUNITY. AS MANUFACTURER
Story of Meeorc Rise of Man From Poverty to Leading Builder Of
Arpanes in EngIand-Without Penny, He Joins British
Army and Deliberately Breaks Rules to Employ
Talents in More Effective Service.

London.-With all of its cases
of meteoric rises from poverty
and humbleness to wealth and sue
cess, the United States furnishes
nothing more striking than that
of ]. A. Whitehead, president of
the Whitehead Aircraft company of
England, but 1t should be stated that
Mr.. Whitehead, though Britisher
now, has American citizenship papers
and got his business training In San
Francisco.
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 half years ago with no
asset in the world except credit with
small hotelkeeper in London SUBJ
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 S35 week, with borrow
ed money. His pay roll now is $780,
900 week. He recently obtained per-
mission from the treasury department
Of England to increase his capitaliza-
ton by s5,OOO,OOO, and SC, complete was
the confidence of English investors In
his ability to make good" that the
amount was subscribed before the
bonds were issued.
AIrpIane Yet In Infancy.
Mr.. Whitehead is far seeing man.
10 y. otv
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 soma twenty years
back.
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. n regular
mail service between the metropolis of
Europe and the metropolis of the
western hemisphere.
1t is, of course, not possible to go
into details in describing the airplane
works which Mr.. Whitehead has built.
1t Is one of the wonder spots of Eng
land, and the thousands Of employees
whom / saw at their work one day
this week are turning out these eyes
of the army" at a rate which may well
cause alarm to the Huns. who perhaps
as soon as anyone else realized that
the great war would be won In the air.
Mr.. Whitehead believes that the war
Will be won In the air. and he says
there is no question that the English
manufacture. supplemented by his
American Industrial captain. will pro-
vide the machines which will give the
allies an overwhelming superiority.
At recent luncheon given at Mr..
Whitehead's home, Buccleuch house.
on the Thames, he told privately the
story of his marvellous cayeer. This is
1t:
Sentenced to Be Shot
At the outbreak of the war MIR.
Whitehead. then on the sunny side OF
forty, was an San francisco just get
ting on his feet after rather adven-
turous experience which had taken him
to all parts of the world and In a way
gave him the reputation. as he now
humorouslr says, of a "black sheep"