The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-01
America Makes Complete Her Air
Triumph.


brought the American seaplane NC-4
to her anchorage in Lisbon harbor
he had achieved the triumph every
flying man Of every nation had
dreamed of-passage between the
New World and the Old World by
airship. Germans had planned such
n trip in their mighty zeppelins ;
HAwKER and GRIEvE had boldly chai-
lenged the perils of an unescorted
dash; French aviators had laid their
plans for a well considered attempt
to the south. 1t was on May 81 that
READ and his crew won the imper-
ishable fame their victory over me-
chanical difficulties, the elements and
the weakness of the human organism
confers on them.
But theirs was no adventure Of
craftsmanship. They were under or
ders in the naval service of their
country, and their goal was not
merely the coast Of Europe. They
were instructed to fly by a definite
route to particular objective. Had
they not reached that objective their
trip would have been unsuccessful
from the official point of view. Con-
sequently their labors did not cease
until yesterday, when their craft
came to rest in the English harbor
of Plymouth.
As the navy Is not sentimental in
the ordering Of its cruises, practical
reasons dictated the selection, Of
Plymouth as the destination of the
seaplane flight. But no other spot
could have been more appropriate for
the ultimate landing place Of a pio-
neer transatlantic airship sailing from
the United States. From Plymouth
the Mayfower Pilgrims departed Sep
TENDER 6, 1920, to make their homes
in the New World, to found "a
church without a bishop, a state
without a king"
The conquering Of the air in the
flight over the Atlantic was only one
Of the problems the navy set out to
solve when it began the experiments
that brought forth the NC flying boats.
The situation produced by Germany's
submarine war made it desirable that
a new method of combating U-boats
should be devised. Our naval authorI-
ties looked to the development of the
alrplane to provide 1t. Their inten-
ton was to produce a machine capa-
BILE of crossing the ocean in the air, of
alighting on the water and making
progress as a boat, Of rising from the
sea. The performances of the three
seaplanes that departed from Rocka-
way May s have justified the design
that was adopted. The NC-4 was able
to overcome mechanical difficulties
and complete her trip; Commander
TowERs's seaplane, after being forced
to the water, carried its crew in
safety to Ponta Delgada; and Lieu
tenant Commander BELLINGER and his
crew were saved when their boat was
compelled to quit the air. From the
mishaps Of these aviator-sailors, no
less than from the experiences Of the
NC4 and her complement of men, the
navy air service will learn wherein
the plans and specifications Of the
NC class should be modified. Thus
all have contributed to the future
Of the art Of flying.
Mastery of the air will belong to
America If the United States will ex-
ert itself to hold and maintain it. The
new profession Of flying is American
by virtue of the discoveries and ap-
plicatlon Of scientific principles made
in this country. Our leadership was
lost to us by our own lethargy and in
difference. READ and his fellows, the
opportunity having been given to them
by an awakened and frightened on
cialdom, have restored it to us. 1t
can be retained by the adoption of an
enlightened and progressive policy
toward this supremacy important de-
partment Of human endeayor. and II
1t is lost again that loss will bring
shame to every American citizen.