Evening star., 1924-07-30

| Continued from First PageD
we should be defeated. now that we
are really turning down the home
stretch. We are confident and that
counts whole lot"
Asked for a message to the Ameri-
can people in the last minutes before
he led his comrades into the air again.
Lieut.. Smith dictated the following
words: Tell America we will be glad
to get home among our own people
again-and more proud than ever
that we are Americans. I am deter
| mined to carry the American flag
back to Glover Field in the same
ships we are now fying-new wings,
fuselages and tails will not do"
ComfOrteA BY Convoy.
However omnious the giistening
wastes of Greenland and Iceland may
look to the Amer Magellans of the
air as they soar homeward, Lieut.
Smith declared that it will be COM
forting to the aviators TO know that
in the waters beneath them swift
American cruisers and destroyers
stand ready to lend assistance in the
event of an emergency.
God, but Wen be glad to see the
good old United States again" were
the last words of the flight command
er as he gulped a final swallow of
coffee, shook hands goodbye and
started for a final inspection of his
ship. Only a scant few hours later
he was roaring through space toward
Kirkwall the first stop on the final
dash for home and triumph.
Whatever anxiety Americans may
feel for the safety of their dashing
aviators on their journey across the
| Atlantic, however, should be dis
PEELED by a recollection of the heart
breaking hardships and nerve-chill-
ing dangers they have already faced
and conquered in their aerial cir
cumnavigation of the earth. Since
they first took off from Clover Field,
in California. the flyers have not been
favored by one whole good flying
day-and yet they are almost home.
Threw Baggage Out.
Many were the days that they re-
mained in the air for Is consecutive
hours, and when they finally landed.
! tired and anxious for rest, they were
seized by admiring crowds and forced
to accept dinners and festivities in
their honor On the trip from the
orient the birdmen were forced to
throw overheard everything they had
except their caps, breeches and
blouses, either to tighten the load or
because of the staggering heat
Describing the trip across the China
Sea. Lieut.. Leslie P. Arnold and Lieut..
Leigh Wade said that the water was
CLASSY and not a breath OF wind STIR
| red. The aviators were Obliged to
hop off behind each other, the last
two planes benefiting for their leap
into the air by bouncing on the
waves stirred up by the first sship.
Lieut.. Smiths ship happened to be
the first of that day. and there was
no one to make even a ripple for him.
Finally Lieut.. Smith discovered a
slight defect in the pontoons of his
ship, stopped for repairs and was
fortunate enough to get behind
small powerboat that gave him the
necessary ripples to help bounce him
into the air. The Americans have
become used to flying in the rain, and
at Akijab, Burma, where Maj. Mac
Iaren. the British contender for
round-the- world honors, cracked up,
the Yankee birdmen took the air
in 4 heavy downpour.
"a
Lieut.. Arnold explained, until We
lost the rain, and then returned t.
land"
VIII Keep Going.
I'VE are determined to keep going
now in any weather short Of cloud
| burst or serious fog" was the unani-
nous decision of the world girdlers.
I'VE haven't had a whole good day
| since we left Alaska. A trip like ours
either starts out good and comes in
bad about the middle, or vice versa
We're hoping for the best now and
determined to win out"
| Much of the advance information
given to the head aviators relative to
probable weather conditions has not
proved correct. AS d TeSulI tHe piiOIo
now leave whenever the weather is
favorable at the taking-or point and
take a chance that it will continue
good the rest OF their journey. All
of the pilots lamented the misfortune
that overlook their original flight
leader just after they had hoped OF
from Alaska
Wonder at Reception
| While at Brough the flyers asked
inceesant questions about pos
sible entertainments upon their ar
rival in the United States. What are
they going to do with US when we
reach Boston?' was the very first
question of Lieut.. Smith when I hrst
saw him at Brough. All then unan-
imously agreed that they wanted tc
make Glover Field a.. fast as pos
sible."
They hope to cross the continent in
three hops. After that they will be
lrsady for sightseeing, and receptions