The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-29
HAWKER SC0FFS
ATREAD'SFEAT'
Australian Belittles American
Navy Officers Who Flew
to Portugal.
DISPLAY OF BITTERNESS
Calls Flight a Joke With De-
stroyers "Stationed Every
Twenty Yards"
DISPLAY OF BITTERNESS
Special Gable Despatch to The suS.


Copvrioht. 1918: all rights reserred.
LONDON, May 2S.--"If we had de-
stroyers every twenty yards across the
Atlantic it would have been consid-
cred joke"
This statement by Harry Hawker
electrified those attending a luncheon
given in honor of Hawker and Grieve
to-day at the Hotel Savoy by the
Daily Mail for the purpose Of present
ing to them a $4,000 console tion prize
1t came out OF a clear sky after other
speakers had given the American fiiers
their due need of praise for their
dogged work in accomplishing the
fight from Newfoundland to Lisbon.
Britain's hero devoted his first op-
portunity to belittl!ng the effort of
men who have flown across 1900
miles of Oceanic void. During his
brief speech Hawker dwelt repeat
edly upon the American effort, in
dicating bitterness against the fiiers
who succeeded where ne failed. II
was not mere outspokenness under
stress Of excitement, but clearly a
deliberate statement thought out be-
forehand and delivered from written
or prearranged notes.
Hawker said he started when he heard
The Americans had reached the Azores
and he was certain his flight would be
successful barring some minor accident.
He said II would have been an acknowl-
edgement of lack OF faith in the motor OF
the aeroplane and his navigator 20 have
ships stationed every few yards. Ap-
parently he lost sight of the many COM
plants lodged against the Admiralty for
not giving fuller cooperation to those
attempting to fly across the Atlantic
even the statement of his wife. who de-
rlored the inadequacy OF Government
facilities.
While every other British subject "a
perfectly willing to acknowledge the tre-
mendous benefit of tmerlcan Navy CO.
operation. the man to whom England is
giving greater hero worship than to any
tion is unwilling to concede the United
States fliers made a successful attempt
or profted by the experiences of the
war. II was curious coincidence that
these statements by Hawker received
tremendous applause. apparently coin.
Gliding with the general belief that
Lieutenant-Commande Read, who under
terrible handicaps has flown the NC-4
across the Atlantic. does not deserve any
credit because the navy had destroyers
handy to pick him up in case OF ac-
cident.
1t is doubtful IL any man, barring
Britains rulers, has had such a truly
royal reception as Hawker. Surely within
memory there has been no hearticr vel
come accorded a returning British sub
iect. Therefore It Is difficult to find a
reason for his bitterness against Amer
lea. American newspaper men who ap-
preached him invariably received a re-
buf. Hawker asking why certain New
York newspapers printed articles attack
ing him. Others believe Hawker is try
ing to espouse the cause of the Ad-
miralty and explain why the Admiralty s
assistance to the transatlantic fiers
did not equal that OF the American navy,
but this is unnecessary. because every
enc knows that Hawker's flight was ar
ranged through private enterprise, no.
connected in any way with the Govern
ment or the British navy.