New-York tribune., 1919-07-25
twenty-five Aviators Quit
Work as Protest Against
Discharge of Two Com
rades and Perilous Rule
Washington and
Chicago Cut Off
Men Assert They Are Or
dered to Fly in Unfit
Planes in Bad Weather

twenty-five mall alrplane pilots yes
terday went on the first air strike the
country has known, declaring in gen
eral that the arbitrary rules of the
Postofice Department imperilled their
lives and in particular that no nail
should take the air until Leon Smith
and Hamilton Lee, pilots who were dis
charged, were reinstated. The striking
rots asserted their action would halt
service both on the New York Wash
rgton route and the New York Chi
cago route.
Smith and Lee were discharged be-
cause they refused to fly in weather
which they said was dangerous for any
machine and doubly dangerous for
-uch planes as those the governme mt
furnished for it's postal service. They
we're discharged Tuesday by Otto
Fraeger, Second Assistant Postmaster
eneral, after they had declined to
md in their designations.
Must Obey or Resign
The following day fifteen pilots at
Relmont Park sent twenty-four-ho hour
sltimatum to Mr.. Praeger demanding
She reinstatement of the two pilots
End the withdrawal of the "hy regard
less of weather" order. At 502 p. m.
yesterday, two minutes after the ulti-
matum expired, they received the fol-
owing message from Mr.. Praeger:
Orders regarding Pilots Smith and
Lee have not been revoked. They came
into the service as every other pilot
with the knowledge that they must
comply with the departments orders,
that they must fly the mail and, where
flying conditions are such that they
cannot operate, they have the option Of
resigning.
If they refuse to carry out the or
gers of the department and fail to
nder their designations their re-
moval from service must be made.
livery pilot is expected to carry out
his duty in accordance with his oath
and sense of loyalty to the service and
% aviation in general. Call attention
VI employees to Sections 1890 and 1872
revised Statutes"
Asserts Weather Was Perilous
The striking pilots said that on
tuesday, when Smith and Lee refused
20 fly, there was a heavy rain and
dense banks of mist. Flying under
such conditions in the last two months,
aey said, had cost the service thirty
2irplanes and two pilots their lives
Nl resulted in serious injury to many
.aoYe.
The visibility on Tuesday, it was
said, was barely 100 yards. The R-4
mail planes drive ahead one and two
thirds miles every sixty seconds They
20 not junction properly at an altitude
lower than 800 feet. Despite the ap-
peals Of pilots, they are not equipped
with stabilzers, which, in case of fog,
would inform the pilot whether he was
h1ying right side up or upside down
The department thought them too ex-
pensive, it was said. The pilots said
they cost SIS
Under such conditions, the pilots de-
cared, any mail plane which took the
ar IN the rain and mist of Tuesday
would be driving at precariously low
attitude over cities and villages at the
rate of 100 miles an hour.
Lives Put in Danger
Inc lives not only of those in the
machines, but of those over whom they
passed would be endangered. In order
70 keep to the course the pilots would
nave mad to fly SO low as to allow scant
margin for safe descent in case of
breakdown or Of the sudden discovery
al opo tdcle SuCn as caused Lne QeaLh
Of Pilot Frank McCusker in Cleveland
recently.
so when Smith and Lee were dis
charged. every pilot on the mail cir
cut agreed to stand by them and make
It a fight to the finish for more suit
able machines. provided with modern
equipment, and for permission to use
.neir discretion as to flying weather.
Inc strikers pointed out that time and
again steamships carrying mail were
matted by fog outside of port and no
attempt was made TO force their COM
manders 70 chance the run in for the
sake Of the mail