The sun., 1919-05-27
READ WILL GET
SOLE HONOR FOR
ATLANTICDASH
Secretary of Navy Overruled
Commanders Request to
Accompany Junior.
ASKED BY TWO ADMIRALS
Delicate Situation Developed,
Involving Loss Of Credit to
Either Filler.
ASKED BY TWO ADMIRALS
Special Despatch 70 The Sex.

WASHINGTON. May 26.--In the midst
of the transatlantic flight a question
of such keen rivalry developed be-
tween Commander John II. Towers
and Lieut.. Commander Albert c. Read
that Secretary of the Navy Daniels
had to settle it by cable from Wash
ington. The controversy arose after
both officers had reached the Azores.
and concerned the question Of whether
Towers should finish the fight.
Lieut.. Commander Read had reached
the Azores in the NC-4, and was ready
and willing to continue to Lisbon.
Commander Towers's machine. the
NC-3, had been wrecked, but Towers
was in a position to continue his duty
as flight commander by taking his
seat beside Lieut.. Commander Read
OF not permitting eut.-Commander
Read to continue. but Commander
Towers wanted the chance of going
too, contending that. as he was in
command of all three seaplanes and
had been IN charge of the flight from
the start, he should not be barred
when sthe goal apparently was within
reach.
Appeal Made BY jackson.
Rear Admiral jackson, at Ponta Del
sada, decided that Commander Towers
was right. The NC-3 was at moorngs
in Ponta Delgada with both lower wings
wrecked. wing pontoon gone, tall badly
damaged, hull leaking badly. This dam
age had been sustained in Commander
Towers's sixty hour battle on high
running sea. and Rear Admiral Jackson
thought the pluck OF the young flight
commander should be rewarded.
He accordingly recommended that
Commander Towers be permitted 10 ac-
company Lieutenant-C Commander Read
to Rear Admiral Knapp in London. The
latter agreed and both recommendations
were cabled by Rear Admiral Knapp to
Secretary Daniels.
As soon as the matter came before
him Mr.. Daniels realized that he had Il
very delicate and difficult situation to
handle. II he approved the recommenda-
tlon II meant that Lieutenant-Comma
der Read. after making the successful
flight TO the Azores was to be deprived
of chief honors because, with Comman-
der Towers in the seaplane the latter
necessarily would get a large share OF
the credit. II he disapproved the recon-
mendation 1t meant that Commander
Towers. after arranging all details OF
the flight from the very start, was to be
eliminated.
Naval Omcers Divided.
To render decision more difficult,
naval officers here had divided them
selves in two camps some arguing en-
phatically in favor Of Command Tow
ers. while others as earnestly wanted
Lieutenant-Command Read to get the
full glory. Mrs. Towers, who Is in
Washington, naturally was one of the
! interested persons In the controversy.
II was argued that II Lieutenant-C Com
mander Read was permitted to navigate
the seaplane and Commander Towers
made passenger suitable compromise
would be effected.
But Secretary Daniels. after consider
able hesitation, finally decided to over
rule Rear, Admirals Knapp and jackson
on the ground that Lieutenant-Com
! mander Reads performance should In no
way he affected by what happened to the
other two seaplanes. He had brought
the NC+ safely to the Azores, Mr.. DAN
iels ruled. and should get an oppor-
tunity TO bring the NC-4 into Lisbon and
thus be the first aviator to cross the
ocean.