East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1918-10-21
<kFTTo bomb Berlin; that's my ohjectr'
Captain Hugo v. d'Annunxio.
aviator. inventor and son OF Ga


thor and poet OF world famc. leaned against
tho wing OF the propeller of his Liberty Ca
proni blplans in the Capronl hangar on Avia-
ton Field No. !. MIneola. Long Island.
He had not raised his voice. but something
in HIS tone attracted the attention Of four OF
his mechanics who had been tinkering with
the machineFg of the aeropahe. Along with
three or four Italian officers, a stray French
man and one American aviation lieutenant
they gathered about to listen as the young
captain told of the work he has been doing
toward war aviation perfection at Mineola
since he was sent to this country ten months
ago by the italian government. His sudden
audience disturbed the aeropiane expert a
little. but question soon had him speaking
nuentiy, eagerly. on the subject that has
crossed his interests ever since 1g9. when he
saw Glenn curtiss. the American aviator.
Give a flying exhibition In Italy.
Eyes. indeed" continued young d'Annunzio.
arSa trace OF Italian pronunciation IN hts
aDsaeAs III the war lasts more than another
year no Allies will be flying all over the
German Lsses In flying tanks Do you un-
derstand what that meana7 Heavily armored
bipianes and triplanes viii soon be skimming
low above the German lines moving down
Huns with torrents OF machine gun bullets.
Just as hail beats down a wheat field
And the gunners and pilots In the ma
chimes viii be safe soldiers in one OF
the big tanks that America is sending across
these days. Tanks. then. viii be divided Into
two classes-land tanks and air tanks Moth
ing but huge shell will have any effect on
either variety"
And after the war what viii happen to
nviatlonTi Captain d'Annunzi6 was asked
"Hmmr' medItated the Italian! stroking his
smooth shaven. handsome face. II believe
that this world war in many ways may have
hindered the progress OF aviation. Every
energy is bent on developing all sorts Of ma
chineFy 10 It's highest war efficiency. For
instance. Caproni whom I call my master.
although the Italian inventor is only two
years older than myself, at the beginning
Of this war constructed a wonderful three
engine triplane of 2.i0o horse power. and II
was his object TO attempt transatlantic
flight in the machine.
But the war, OF course. stopped the de-
velopment of such machine and prohibited
any such attempt. or course, with aviation
in It's swaddling clothes. so to speak. it
useless to think of perfccting a flying con-
trivance big enough and strong enough TO
act as transport or as a capabIe carrier OF
Runitions. At the outbreak Of war France.
G6eRt Britain, Italy, America and Germany
end Austria began pushing the develoument
- machines that could be used for bombing
purpases. Tor scouting duty, FOR sneed. Nat
eEAlly. tie experiments OF peace uines were
naS1cetcd Flew. It teens 20 ,n'. the next
step Is thu building OF machine that VIII
b he equivalent In the air OF what a tank
b on land. It Is almost certain to come be-
6Sre tbs var is over
And that win be7"- .w 4tu
when Betin has been bombed. Bombed
thrice as thoroughly she has bombed Lon
don and Paris: bombed until the Germans cry
for mercy 80 they scuttle for shelter like
rata Every advance the ALLIES make means
a shortening of tho time when the capital
of Hunland is treated TO a dose Of its own
baptism Of fire and death. Long before the
Rllied troops march triumphantiy into Ber-
Nm will thnt city have been paid in full with
It's own coin of destruction" 3"
Captain HAnnunzo bent swiftly. gracefully
to show the trap door under his Liberty-Ca-
pronl machines body through which may be
aropped the 1soO pounds OF explosives his BIZ
plane can carry. His Is an atheltic. stalwart
form. well set off by the neat. gray-biue uni
form of an Italian aviation captain. His face
and hands are tanned by his outdoor lie. and
the breadth OF his shoulders is such that IL
makes him look a trifle under medium height
The eyes of the young captain are n dark
hazel-qulck bright and full Of the keenest
Intelligence. When he spoke OF bombing
Berlin they grew black and flashed their
emotion. He Is thirty-two years old
But about him there is nothing OF the poet
that one might expect in the son Of Gabrielle
dAnnunzio. Indeed, as the good looking
young caiptan says himself
MY father has all the poetry Of the family.
although just now he Is too busy as COM
mander of a wing Of Italian aeroplanes-that
ls, twenty four machines-to do much in the
line OF literature and verse. However. as he
has written something like twelve books OF
verse and prose since the war began think
he has done his share in writing the worlds
literature about the war.
"I personally. never felt the poetic urge
save when ] thought myself in love.
My bent has always been toward machinery.
and ever since saw your Glenn Curtiss fly
n Italy. in 1909 have been devoting myself
20 aviation. BY the way. there is story
illustrative of my fathers character in Cur
tiss' visit TO Italy. He was invited to go up
with the American but as there was but one
seat in the machine my father, now Major
machine and sailed over the clouds. retaining
his seat by clutching n wire support
when Italy went TO war" the captain con-
tinued. willing TO talk more freely about him
self. now that most OF his audience had dis
Dersed and gone back to their duties, 'I en-
lered the artillery branch OF the service and
Aerved for nine months. But Gianni Caproni.
he inventor, was doing splendid war work
% the advancement Of aeronautica, and, as
he knew / had made some effort In that d.
V~ction myself. he asked the government TO
islease me from the artillery so that could
NorlS as chief engineer in his factory. Then
tsn months ago Italy sent me TO America to
zee n could not tit American Liberty twelve
ayiinder engines 70 Caproni blplane design
Il have succeeded. In the most recent test
Of Eha Lfberty-caproni bombing bplane,
Iu.3pSe with three Liberty motors OF the
lC~ caGennstion type and oach OF 70 horse
DOWs~ Gs climbed TO a heiBh4 OF i6.40O feet
IN ChlTty-aesen minutes. We made 1000 feet
In eualVe @zid mind you. ebs machine weigns
E4oO pouada. and Just for The fun OF tne
thing ~ 10Y rode above ths cloud tops with
Ten pansangsra, some OF them my nschtnista
vlnO saenssd 20 be left behind and who went
Wtth us eling1nB to guy ropes or anything
aiao fhay cnni1. Tho work has been sue
cauSfnL The LSbGty-caproni IL the fastest
best bombfng machine that has been pro-
ducod.
'Tloon I shall 90 to Dotroity where shall
Iupagvins tho manufacture OF tho machines
for ths Uiftsd- -States."
me Interview wss interrupted Rt this point
hy Tleutonant Gi1liAno PArVis. the Italian
Ace who has eight German nlld Austrian
ulnraa n hia credit Iieutonant Paryia. a