Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-10-09

down IL Hun planes while fighting
with the British r. A. F.. and who
was recommended for distinguish
ed conduct for crashing his ma
chine at Albany to avoid killing
people in the crowd during the
New York-Toronto race, is another
starter. He is flying the S. E. 5.
Before this country got into the
war he Joined the Royal Air Forces
/ and when the United States got
into 1t became a fighting comman-
der. He was decorated with the
D. S. C. by General Pershing.
| Captain j. o. Donaldson, anoth-
er contestant, flying the S. E 5, is
an ace with eight Germans to his
credit. He was shot down and
taken prisoner at the battle of the
| Somme afterward making a re
markable escape, though recap
tured twice. He returned to Eng
land with much valuable informa-
ton concerning conditions in Ger
many. He wears the Distinguished
Flying Cross of England.
Colonel C. c. Culver, entry No.
II, flying a captured German FOX
ker, is the oldest pilot flying in the
race. He is AZ and is reputed to
be the second oldest man in Amer
lea entitled to wear wings Cap
tain n. E. Erwin, former director
of naval aviation, who is over so
years old also recently won his
wings. Colonel Culver is interna-
tionally known as the man who de-
veloped the use of the wireless
telephone and telegraph as used
in flight.
Ranking Officer.
The ranking officer in the race is
Air Commodore L. Z. o. Charlton,
the British air attache at Wash
ington. Before Great Britain work
ed out its separate air force, Com
modore Charlton was a brigadier
general. He was in command of
the British air forces in the Ami
ems sector. In Washington Com
mOdore Charlton is credited with
having more comprehensive
grasp of the international aviation
situation than any other individ
ual, whose views have been sought
by the senate and house commit
tee, who are now working on a re-
organization of American aeronau-
tics. so as to place the air service
on basis of a separate arm of the
national defense.
| Lieutenant d. B. Gish, entry
No. 10, flew in the 1S5th night pur-
suit squadron. He was injured in
an accident at night when his ma
! chine crashed and Lieutenant Gish
| sustained Is severe injuries, in
GLIDING both legs being mangled;
one being broken in II different
| places, and in four on the other.
| Lieutenant Gisk still wears steel
braces on each leg, but continues
to fly. His passenger, Captain de
Lavergne, is the French air at
tache at Washington. During the
/ recent war Captain de Lavergne
was in command of a squadron on
the French front, and at one time
had under his command 20 Amer
lean avtators. He has many dec
orations.
The official representative of
France in this race, 1t was pointed
out by the American Flying club,
calls attention to the steps which
| the French government has re-
Gently taken to establish its air
service as a separate arm. The
French government has so encour-
aged aeronautics since the armis-
tice, that air lines, of value both
In commerce and the national de-
tense are shortly TO be placed in
operation not only all over the re-
public, but between the mother
country and its colonies.
Winner In East
Entry No. 81 Is Lieutenant Bel
vim W. Maynard, flying a D. H.-4,
124 m .. h., with 400 b. p. Lib
erty motor, was the winner in the
speed trials Of the New York-To-
ronto airplane derby, and succeed
ed in making the extraordinary
fast time of 1873 $40 miles per
hour. Lieutenant Maynard. be-
fore entering the army service. was
minister. He served in the
American expeditionary forces
many months, and was one of the
crack test pilots of the American
assembly plant at Romorantin.
While at this school he held the
worlds record for looping consec-
utively without losing altitude.
Entry No. 81 is Major Carl SpatZ,
flying a D. H. .Bluebird, 125 m. p.
h.. 400 h. p. Liberty motor. Major
Spatz was for a time in command
of the Issoudun training school of
the American expeditionary forces
in France. He later Joined the 93rd
Pursuit squadron and is officially
credited with II victories. He was
cited for sthe D. s. c. by General
Pershing.
Competitors-Ths test will be
open to army pilots recommended
by commanding officers of fields
in the eastern. central and west
ern departments, flying machines