The Omaha morning bee., 1924-07-17
BY HAYDEN TALBOT.

Universal service staff Correspondent
London. July 1s-Six sunbnrned
smiling American airmen breeze.
down into the Croydon aerodrome
this afternoon fresh from a little
IS. .000-mile hop from Santa Monica.
while without question the greatest
gathering of British airplane experts
which ever congregated in one place.
plus 1000 mere members Of the pub
lie, chiefly women. extended a vel
come in characteristicaIly British
fashion. by much handclapping.
From a. M, high officers Of the
royal air forces and the United States
government, with a small army OF re-
porters and photographers, waited pa
tienhy for the news Of the departure
from Paris OF the Boston Chi
eago" and New Orleans as the
three surviving buses OF the world
fliers are named. Reports had sug-
gested the possibility that the Amer
leans would leave early in the
morning.
After about two hours. a British
employe. with his usual calm. filled in
three spaces on the official bulletin
board. which records the arrival and
departure Of passenger planes. with
the news that the world record max
ers left Paris at III a. m.
Playing Safe.
According TO experts. this should
have brought them 10 Croydon about
La, but almost whole additional
hour elapsed before some sharp-eyed
person in the crowd leosed semi.
hysterical cry:
Il see them
Actually it was one Of the slowest
Paris-to-Loudon flights ever made. but
in an interview with Lieut. Lowell
II. Smith, the flight commander.
granted me exclusively for Universal
Service the real significance Of this
fact was made clear.
We We're playing safe" he said. a
few minutes after he had climbed
down from his machine and while he
and the other five fliers were posing
for the photographers.
1T is all right to hurry. but even
though time is the essence Of our
contract. safety first IS pretty good
motto There IS a great deal Yet u
do. and eur delight st having SC,
this far IL tempered BY the reaiiza-
ton that We are still long way from
home.
Nothing TO Fear.
1T is not a case Of fear. There Is
TO fear as from our expe-
riences in Alaska. Il seems years
since we LEFT Santa Monica. Since
that time we have done ga hours
Of flving. which represents a period
in the air of 10 consecutive DAYS and
nights"
To my question as 70 the opinions
~ the seNte; Of filters regarding fls..
ing as sport, Lieutenant Smith
said.
THAT Is an awkward question n
answer. Al the outset this IS the sest
n trip YOU would not have taken sla.-
600 600 - have missed while sust
now you would not take si.Ooe. coo -
10 il again. IL has heen real hand
work setting up at every morning
and going until or later every after.
noon without Sny holidays or Sun
days. In tse four months since we
started We have had Just TWO DAYS os
rest"
one Of the earliest arrivals AZ the
aerodrome today VAS Mrs. smart
wife ot Squadron Leader
MacLaren. chief>of the British World
tlieht. now in the Far East. and she
Was in = van ~ the great CROWD
which dashed toWana ileutsnent
smiths plane as Il TAXED up tie
field.
Mael Aren's Wife Thanks Smith.
Good fortune enabled me 10 over
heat her first remarks Ia IAeutsnent
smith. hefene the sursine efSwA.
against Which Tor oaea thc mpuo.
Noutan p0ltce fog feW moments
'omd themselves hopeless pushed
~ out II ear shot
II Want yoa to Knew sala the
SerN pretty aud beautifully gowntsi
.nung Wemen to the leader ek xAe
Ameficaa FLYERS. how tremendously
appreciate she wonderful sports.
nsnshin q veur navy N sending hat
Destroyer II aia nay husband. rhat
sss certainly one q the finest kes.
srma 10 r~xs rwe cesusn etai