Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-20
MANS UNCOMFORTABLE SPIRIT
REVEALED IN OCEAN FLIGHT
Civilization Quickened With Renewed
Pride in Glorious Contrast TO
War.Era Emotions

Ava ashamed of himself throughout Hos'
of the last five years. Universal wal
gave idealsm chill douche. The utopias
planned as the outgrowth of the age OF
horror are still prospective. With the
picture of bright future upon our lips
I we have disdained the present, have
almost indeed apoIogiZcd for humanity.
Within four days. however, mundane
self-res pect has received a superb stmu-
: lus. The whole earth is thrilled. spiri-
tually exalted as man resumes once more
| his eternal battle with the "unconquer-
able" as he reduces its once vast do
main. "In his heart is a blind desire"
sang Swinburne, "in his eyes, foreknowI-
edge of DEATH" Blindness of fear one
| can admit
That, IN truth, is the proud possession
of the intrepid birdmcn soaring high
above the seas which sever two CONT
nents. Burning desire for victory, fore
knowledge of tragic pcrils so complete
that irresistible daring is the only anti
dotc, are the character ingredients Of
these "Columbuses Of the air
A vivid phrase. perhaps, but loosely
used. Sea navigation was no novelty
when the great Genoese ventured forth
into the unknown. Wilbur and Orville
Wright invented their airplane only six
teen years ago. Glenn II. Curtiss com
pleted his first successful hydroairplane
in 1911.
Relatively speaking, the mechanical
instrument of the celestial voyaging now
in progress is as much a novelty as the
feat which it is accomplishing. Should
it be a subject for wonderment that man,
acutely conscious nowadays of his own
evolution and his own failures, tinges
with pride at these heroic deeds? If all
wars are, and ever have been, futile, may
not the cynic decry the poignant agony
through which this planet has just
passed? But his barbs of scorn are
dulled against endeavor which spells only
the most glorious progress, which gives
back to civilization its self-esteem,
quickens its ambitions with renewed life.
When flying was first made practicable,
reason in all of US tugged tightly at i'm
agination. Fact and fancy. the myth of
"DaedaluS," the burlesQue anent Darius
Green the reality of failure bitterly eX
perienced by Langley, colored mans
thoughts even at the very instant that
he was compelled to recognize the miracle
of human flight.
One hesitated to draw the horoscope.
1t was so easy to fondle the idea of swift
coursings through the air outpacing the
hitherto unchallenged frigate bird. 1t
was also so obvious that veritable prodi-
gies of development had to be manifested
before the unbelievable" could become
the truth.
Redefnition of "impossbility" came
with the pulse tingling performance of
the Frenchman, Bleriot, when at dawn
on June 3, 1909, he landed in Calais after
the first airplane flight over the English
Channel from Britain to France. More
than century before gas balloon had
made the crossing.
1t was clear that the progress of mod
em Daedaluses lacked consecutiveness.
In the light of history there was still the
SOLDERING reflection that further epochal
featS in aviation might come only after
long gap. But the advancement of aerial
vOyaging was now as winged as the ma
chimes themselves.
Under the grim pressure Of war; and
certainly one result of the tragedy that
was for good, the practicability of flying
assumed an aspect undreamed of even by
eXtravagant penmen. 1t is not so many
years since Wells, who plumes himself on
Outrunning his age, introduced into his
tale of "Tono-Bungay' an air fight from
England to southern France. In realis-
tic novel, for such the book purported to
be, the episode carried distinct shock.
As for subsequent fiction. it has scarcely
dared to deal with transatlantic aviation.
The truth is sometimes too strange for
artistic consideration.
1t is strange and inspiring truth with
which the magnificent airmen of 1919 are
now playing upon the emotions and
firing the hopes of civilization For
daring beauty the effort of Lieutenant
Harry G. Hawker bears the supreme
palm. His nonstop venture between
Newfoundland and Ireland was of sub
lime boldness. For elaborate efficiency of
preparation and Jealous adherence to the
finest standards of the navy the American
transatlantic aviation warrants brilliant
laurels.
In a quite arguable sense Lieutenant
Commander Albert c. Read is the vic
torious pioneer. Geographically consid-
cred, the Azores are really part of
Europe. They were certainly not re-
garded as American" in the era of
| New World discoveries.
Ponta Delgada means "Deicate Point"
Some may consider that the conten-
ton that the Atlantic was crossed by air.
plane in the chop" of the NC-4 from
Trepassey to the green-clad archipelago
of the republic of Portugal involves a
point of similar fineness. Yet that posi-
ton is not without its validity.
Unreserved pleasure must be taken by
| all Americans in the manner in which the
/ L e., II;