The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-08-31
WORLDS GREATEST AVIATION EXPERTS
 WILL COMPETE IN
 BALLOON EVENTS
Objection to Meet Raised at Directors Meeting-Bir- mingham's Ability to
 Supply Gas Brought
 the Meeting Here

At 10:30 o'clock this morn ing the board of directors of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce is scheduled to an- nounce whether it will approve action of its aviation committee in recommending acceptance of the offer of the Aero Club of America to hold its prelimin- ary and the great international balloon races in this city Sep tember 23 and October 23, re- spectively.
 The matter was discussed by the di- rectors at a meeting held yesterday afternoon. Final action was deferred until 10:30 this morning.
 o, l.. Bum, general manager of the Chamber of Commerce. was reticent as to what had occurred in the meeting of the board of directors. but when he was asked if some objection to the balloon event had been raised in the name of the state fair, he admitted that there had been.
 Members of the aviation committee had been informed of this objection prior to the meeting of the directors, one of the directors, they state having openly voiced his opposition to the bal loon events in the name of the fair.
 DETRACT CROWDS
 The objection, specifically stated,
 was that the balloon events might
 InA he dg
 is wished to have at the fair. The
 fair dates are October 40. The first
 balloon event will precede opening
 of the fair gates by eleven days,
 and the second, international
 event, will follow the closing Of
 the fair gates by practically two
 weeks.
 The proffer of the balloon races was made on the condition of Birmingham s being able to supply the amount and quality of gas needed. The Sloss-Shef- field by-product works at North Bir- mingham more than enables both the quantity and the quality. The avia- tion committee, of which Frank Dixon Is chairman, held that the advertise ment of Birmingham's by-product gas would alone justify the expenditure of few hundred dollars.
 It Is understood that Birmingham
 secured the, offer of the events on
 n showing of Chicago's inability to
 supply the needed quality of gas,
 but that the Chicago committee is % still in New York seeking to secure
 the balloon events and ready to
 grab them in case Birmingham
 should happen to fall down.
 CITIZENS SURPRISED
 Several citizens, when informed that there had been objection to the balloon events in the name of the State Fair, expressed themselves as surprised. They said what the merchants of Birmingham want is as many crowds IS can be got ten here. They want them for the fair dates and they want them before, and after the fair; as thick and as fast as they can be drawn into Birmingham. General opinion among those discussing the matter was that the, chamber will accept the recommendation of it's avia- tion committee and stage the interest ing events. That great crowds will at- tend is the opinion of those who have followed the international balloon races when they were pulled off in other cities.
 The first, or elimination, races in Sep tember will draw about thirty of the greatest aviation experts in the country. Out of these is to be drawn America champion for the international race or October 23. In that latter event the six greatest balloonists in the world Will have chrage of the competing aircraft.