The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-02-01
OF AMERICAS
 ACES ARRIVE ON
 STEAMER ADR|AT|C
Capt. Rickenbacker, Chief Ace; Maj. Meissner, Lieut.. Baer and Capt. Camp
 bell Reach New York
By Associated Pre-.

New York January 31.-- Four of Ameri- cas- aces, one of them Capt. Edward V. Rickenbacker of Columbus. O., who is officially credited with bringing down 20 enemy airplanes, arrived here late to- day on the British steamer Adriatic.
 The others were Maj James A. Meiss- ner of Brooklyn, officially credited with eight machines; Lieut.. Paul F. Baer or Mobile, eight, and Capt. Douglass Camp bell of Mount Hamilton, Cal. six. All wore decorations awarded them by the American and allied governments.
 Lieutenant Baer, who spent eight months in German prison camp before being released after the signing of the armistice. said he was brought down during fight with four enemy machines at height of about 12,00o feet when his machine was disabled by a machine gun bullet and he himself wounded. He said the Germans treated him reasona- bly well.
 Captain Rickenbacker prior to going to France, was a well known driver Of racing automobiles. His first experience abroad was as chauffeur to General Per shing, but he soon transferred to the air service, because he found motoring in the war zone 'too slow RISE WAS RAPID
 His rise into the lace" class was rapid, and soon he led Americas airmen in the number of foes downed. There is no comparison between the auto and the air. Captain Ric5enbacker said today. i'I am through with the au- tomobile and I stand ready to place my skill and talents in flying. if I have any, at the service of my government, commercially or otherwise. Like all sol diers, l come home resolved in the flu ture to take more of an interest in the affairs of my country, and if I have the chance I will gladly enter the service again.
 Tn my flying I had no particular sys- tenn that I can describe, and my victor ies were simply 60 per cent luck. In all | my work l used French machines, as did most of the boys. l want to say that the Americans I was associated with were all that could be asked, and we were getting better and better as the war went on.
 Rickenbacker's first victory was in | April last year when, with Captain Hall, he brought down German machine in enemy territory. In May of the same year he was victor in an engagement in | which he was opposed by three Germans, I bringing down one and driving off the | others.
 l From then on his victories followed | LII Idpiu SuCCcSSlOll anu Ill SeNCl dl iii- stances he succeeded in bringing down two machines in one fight.
 TO MAKE REPORT ] He said he would go to Washington at
 once to make the war department a de-
 tailed report of his experiences and ob- | Servations.
 | Major Meissner, who paid special trib- ute to the skill and daring of Captain 1 Rickenbaeker, with whom he took part
 in several combats, also asserted that
 air fighting was to a considerable extent "a matter of luck.r
 Captain Campbell took part in the fight ing at Chateau ThierrW. His most thrill ing experience, he said, was his escape | with broken wing after a fight with 1 six enemy machines. He credits Captain 1 Rickenbacker with saving him by driv- ing off the foe. In one of the last actions
 in which he took, part he was slightly wounded.
 l Rabbi Stephen S. Wise of New York who went to Europe to further the Zion ist movement, returned on the Adratc declaring that the success of the project was assured
 Among the 2S7S passengers were Sir
 Montague Barlow, NJ. P: e. Louis Bos.
 sevain, Mrs. Vernon Castle, the Count.
 ess of Granard, the Duchess of Man chester. Ralph Pulitzer and Walter Camp.