New-York tribune., 1919-02-04
Rickenbacker
Greeted Home
With Banquet
Mother Shares in Honors
Paid Americas Leading
"Ace' at Welcome Party
Pershing Sends Praises
Baker Tells How Flying
Squadron Leaped From
II to Ill, 900 Aeroplanes

Secretary of War Baker, General
Pershing, and six hundred other no.
tables joipcd last night in welcoming
home Captain Eddie" Rickenbacker,
Americas foremost airman. An elab
crate dinner to celebrate the aces
return was held in the grand ballroom
of the Waldorf Astoria.
Secretary Baker sat at the side of
the hero of the occasion, but General
Pershing was represented by message
sent at the last moment. and read by
Mr. Baker The communication was:
"The history of the American air
service on the Western front is as
remarkable for its sound and success
full development of aviation tactics as
for it's spirit of unselfsh devotion and
dare devil galantry, which Is unsur-
passed by anything the great war has
produced.
some of its brighter pages, and on be-
half of the American expedltIonary
forces I an glad to bear witness to
our admiration for the air service and
for him. PERSHlNG.
Captain Rickenbacker was Eddie" to
most of the men who attended the din
ner, for his former associates in the
automobile drying world had turned
out as a body for the occasion. Uni
formed men from the air service and
from other branches supplied the color
to the assemblage. Men of proml-
nence from all walks rounded out the
list of guests.
Cheers for "Eddie's" Mother
Strange to say, the widest enthusi-
asm of the evening was reserved not
for CAPTAIN Eddie" or for Secretary
Baker. or for General Pershing. 1t
was shortly after the dinner had start
ed that q little. middle-aged woman
dressed in black, hair parted qualntiy
in the centre and wearing spectacles'
quietly entered one of the boxes IN the
h.1conv surrounding the ballroom.
Cantain Rickenbacker's eyes lighted
I'm "a he spied her figure and he started
tn b;s feet. The rest of the assemblage
had seen. too. Secretary Baker leading
+he ,vav: it rose to do homage to the
little lady in black. ~
"Three cheers for 'Eddie's mother, "
some one shouted, and they were gwen
,~;fh ,Gi'tI a viii. The little lady-Mrs
Flizabeth Rickenbacker-rose to her
fnet and bowed in acknowledgement.
Secretary Baker waved his handker-
chief at her. and at Captain Eddie Z. .
sister. also in the box. The roars OF
annroval continued, and it was fully a
Minute before the two women were al
lowed to take their places.
FLYING Exploits Recounted
long list of distinguished speakers
toid What they thought of Captain
Bickenba ckers brilliant exploits aloft.
Res ides Secretary Baker, there were
Dr Henry van Dyke, former American
Minister to Holland; W. 'Bourke Cock
ran. Alan Hawley, president of the
Aero Club of America; MAJOR General
C. p. Menoher, head of the AR Ser
vice and Major General George II. Nc
Manus.
Rickenbacker's colleagues in the air
service were represented by Lieutenant
Paul Baer, who escaped from German
nrison camp after five attempts; Major
Walker-Lee. of the British army; Cap
tain Douglas Campbell and Major Jim
NV" Weissner. the "Flatbush ace"
The automobile show turned out its
fnlI ohota for the dinner. Besides lead
;ne, nromoters and manufacturers there
we're these racing drivers: Louis Chew
rolet. Ralph de Palma, Ray Harround,
Barney Oldfieid, Ralph Mulford and f.
C. Bald.
Secretary Baker, who was accom-,
named
remain in New York until tonight,
spending all his time here in lnvesti-
eating overseas mail service. Mrs.
Baker was at last nights banquet, oc-
cupying box.
"a Military Victory" says Baker
Secretary Baker described the I'm
possibilities" that had been accompilshesd
in. sending America forth to war and,
saving that he spoke "as citizen" and
not as Secretary Of War, declared that
if the armistice had not been signed the
German army would have been routed
and captured.
at was. a military victory" he said,
"and our men are now patrolling both
hanks of The Rhine. And we now hope
this splendid energy of America will
make it a victory for morale and really
democratic ideals-the things these
young Americans ventured so much
for and for which so many gave their
lives"
When the United States entered the
war, he said, it had twelve aeroplanes,
which eve supposed we're fighting
planes" two training planes and eleven
machines on order. There were 100
men in the air service. On the day the
was signed, he continued.
there were 1855 military aeroplanes in
this country and e472 American ma
chimes in France Most of them were
of foreign manufacture, he said, "but
we were then producing them more
rapidly than we could ship"
There were on that date. he said,
1858 officers and 137,76o enlisted men
in the air service.
Taft Sends Congratulations
Colonel William A. Deeds, whose
court martial was recommended in the
report of the Hughes investigating
committee, was at the dinner and re-
,eived,a a round of applause when Secre-