The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-05-16

towns, would have been bombed from stations be-
hind the allied front in France.
For instance, Gabrielle d'Annunzio, the Italian
poet and aviator, succeeded in reaching Vienna
with a Caproni and in demonstrating to the Wen
nese that Italy had Il plane capable of dropping
bombs on them. DAnnunzio did not drop bombs
on his famous raid; he scattered thousands or
pamphlets informing the people of Vienna that
they were supporting the wrong government in the
great war. 1t was an object lesson whose effect
was great in breaking Austrian morale.
Vienna was not quite as far from the allied lines
as Berlin. The fight DAnnunziO made was some
thing less than one thousand miles. But he went
heavily loaded and returned successfully.
Caproni Pledges His Future.
"We have vanquished our common enemy" Ca
prom says, but our task as aircraft makers is by
no means finished. We must not stop. A perfect
system of airplanes will be a wonderful safeguard
to any nation as a protection against new out
bursts, on the part of irresponsible powers,
against civilization and humanity.
PERSONALLY l am going to contribute all my
strength to development of the winged giant
which proved the most powerful and telling wea-
pom Of our just and sacred war.
"Our plant will be maintained at full strength.
We will keep the thousands of wOrkmen who were
busy here under full war strain when the armis-
tice ended hostilities. We will not go back under
any circumstances to that pre-war status, when
the WOThIuen III our pant llDcI uOZcnS TdtneT
than thousands"
Caproni came into the air game as an engineer
ing student in that period when the Langley ma
chine was launched under unfavOrable circum-
stances and when the Wrights were making their
wonderful flights with the first real airplane. The
idea of flying fired Capronis imagination.
II will never forget" he said the other day
"the profound impression created in me on read
ing newspaper accounts of the first Wright
flights. From that time until today / have dedi-
Gated myself to the new science Of flying"
Caproni will call his new plane the White
Eagle. The name is linked to a strange prophecy
published in Rome, Italy. in 1916, which is Mt.
tributed to an English monk Of the seventeenth
century. The prophecy asserted that in the TWEEN.
tieth century there would be a great world war,
started by the diabolical cleverness of an emperor
Of the country of Martin Luther in alliance with
another emperor, both bearing on their military
uniforms and on their national escutcheons two
black eagles. 1t added that civilization would de.
feat and throw out the barbarians. whose empires
would be divided into % states.
It is inferred that the White Eagle is intended
TO typify the American bird.
The poet w. Lewis has made the event the sub
loot Of q poem which has been set to music. The
whole was presented with Il beautiful allegOricaI
des;cn 70 President Wilson when he was in Milan.
II was n result of his admiration Of the poem and
the design so artistically suggestive that Capron,
decided on the name of White Eagle for his new
and gigantic plane.
7, is asserted that the aviators who will make
.,a trim intend TO follow the route of Columbus
ocross the sea. They will fly from Italy to Cadiz
,horce 70 the Azores and from the Azores To the
American coast. alightins in the neighborhood OF
Washington.
Hundreds of men have lost their lives in the
dangerous business OF trying out new planes and
attempting Ia mnkc new records. The list Is lone