Omaha daily bee., 1919-12-17
MAYNARDDENIES
AIR DERBY FLIERS
VICTIMS OF BOOZE
Says Anti-Saloon League Sc
Juggled His Statement to
Distort Truth.

Washington, Dec. 16.-Lieut. B.
w. Maynard, the flying parson," !"
declared Tuesday night in formal
statement that his recent statement
concerning the effects of alcoholic
liquors on aviators which was issued
through the Anti-Saloon League.
had been "juggled" until it has left
false impression and had errone-
ously attributed his remarks as ap-
plying to aviators participating in
the transcontinenta1 reliability test.
His statement follows:
II feel it is due to the memory
of the wonderful men who gave
their lives in the cause of aviation
development in the recent transcon-
tinental air race to clear up the hor-
rible and miserable impression that
has gotten about through the Jug
Cling of my statement to the Anti
Saloon League with respect to the
effect of<intoxicating liquor on fly
ers generally.
Done Serious Injustice.
"My statement was made in coed
faith to the Anti Saloon League at
their earnest solicitation and they
I in robbing it of its opening para
graph and in giving it the Inislead-
ing caption Booze knocked out
transcontinental flyers have, with
the aid of the press, succeeded in
doing me the most serious injGs-
tice 1 have ever undergone, and
have done the transcontinental ay-
ers of the race, and to the air serv-
ice as whole, an even more Sc
rious injustice.
"Such statements that a large
number of the casualties in the race
were caused by flying with hang
overs and being drunk are absolute
ly false and without foundation and
were manipulated to create a SEN
sation. The very fact that / was
very fortunate by intervention of
good weather in my favor to BE-
constantly few miles ahead of the
rest of the flyers is evidence in it.
self that l could not have based my
opinion on the effect of alcohol on
flying from my observation of fly
ers in the race. Indeed several Of
'slou!r1sqe Ielol eIeM poII!H asoql
Statement Juggled.
"The juggling of my statement has
transformed it into lie against my
colleagues in the race, which impress
sion ! certainly won't allow to stand
without an emphatic and complete
denial of my part. Let my state
nlent be now clear and not twisted
to meet the demands of those who
hunger for scandal and sensation.
said, and I still say, that many ac-
cidents in aviation are caused by
overuse of intoxicants. Aviation is
a game where a false move means
disaster, and in any such vocation
the participant needs the full use oi
an active brain, not deadened and
weakened by the effect of liquor.
Hard on the Nerves.
"Such an affected brain and the
corresponding reaction on the nerv.
Gus system are an unnecessary fata'
hazard to the already natural and
necessary hazard of flying itself.
The action of the publicity agents
Of the Anti-Saloon league, or the
press or whatever it was, in so jug.
Cling the true statement of fact to
meet the demands of sensation ii
making 1t appear that my conclu'
sions were based entirely upon m,
observations during the race, has
created this most false and unjust
impression of which l am in no way
a party and for which l am truly
sorry.
II only kope that this true state
ment of my ideas receives the same
consideration and publicity that wa:
| aHorded The fa1se nnen