The Raymer enterprise., 1921-10-13

president Of the congress- He accepted the posi-.
ton, turned his business affairs to his parter
and went to work. The first step was to get
twenty-five Omaha. business men to back the
project for $1,000 each. This was easily done
II was also easy to get the Endorsement Of all
omaha' business and social organizations A
speakers bureau was formed to educate the clti.
sens Arrangements to raise funds for financing the
congress were made. Attention was then turned
i to the preparation of program worthy Of the
occasion. . ....
Incidentally II became necessary to provide
landing field large enough to stage the program
little thing like this. however, did not deter the
= air meh; who located farm Of 1855 acres showing
possibilities rs a field, although 1t was uneven aud
contained l50 large trees
e field day was duly announced, and the air
men and their friends rolled up their sleeves and
with the assistance Of two Holt caterpillar trac.
tors donated for the occasion pulled the trees and
leveled the land
An open drainage ditch trnversed the center Of
the field, which lies on the edge OF one of the
residence districts only fifteen minutes ride from
the heart Of Omaha. The city council was induced
to vote unanimously to build covered sewer
through the field at cost Of s2lOOO So the
problem Of d flying field was satisfactorily solved
In the meantime, an office force was busy mail.
Ing thousands OF invitations and pamphlets to
the air men and celebrities, such ns President
Harding, Marshal Foch. 0rville Wright Glenn
/. Curtiss and Judge X. NJ. Lands.
The graduates Of Fort Omaha balloon school
the center Of Americas wartime balIoonng. were
invited for their frst reunion SQuadrons and
escadrllles Of flyers were asked to hold their first
reunions in Omaha. The. ffty.two American aces
were invited, as well rs everyone else interested
In aviation. a. a. ~ 'r+r
80 The aid Of Kansas City was enlisted in sending
the American Legion convention delegates on TO
: Omaha. The Endorsements of national headouar
tiers OF the American Legion, Of the Aero Club Of
America, OF the Worlds Board Of Aeronnutical
Commissioners and Of the Aircraft Manufacturers'
Association we're obtained. The cooperation Of
the Army and Navy air headquarters was asked
for and received
d. The railroads helped out by offering a fare and
half rate for the round trip from all parts OF
the country to Omaha. Gutzon Borglum, world
famed sculptor, offered commemorative medal
design symbolical Of the work Of the American
air man during the war, as his "blt" James
Hanley. song writer Of New York. wrote special
song prasing the work Of, the flyers, to be sung
for the hrst time at the congress.
In preparing Its program, Omaha had a piece
/. OF rare good luck right at the outset. As every.
one knows, the Pulitzer Trophy Race became the
worlds most famous air event with Its first run
= ming in November Of 1920 at Mitchell Field New
York under the auspices Of the Aero Club Of
America. There were twenty-five Army, eight
Navy. seven Marine Corps and one civilian en-
trants In the contest. The winner was Lieut. C.
c. Mosely Of the Army air service, who flew 1872
miles In Verville-Packard machine at an average
speed Of 17s miles an hour. The Army won seven
Of the hrst ter. .paces In the contest and the Navy
two There we're 10000 spectators Including celeb.
rites from all walks Of life.
u Well the Pulitzer Trophy Race for 1921 had
been scheduled for Detroit but difficulties had
arisen and the Aero Club Of America had can.
oelled the race for the year. Omaha stepped In
and offered the necessary funds. In consequence,
the first announcement on the program Is this:
"The First International Aero Congress an.
nounces the second annual aerial contest for the
Pulitzer Trophy, In connection with the first con.