Evening star., 1924-06-05

All America applauds the United
States aviators. Lieuts Wade Smith
and Nelson for being the first 10 COM
plete an air voyage across the Pa
cific Ocean. This feat OF daring and
endurance has fired the Imagination
Of every one throughout the country.
and has added zest and interest in
their future progress to the west
ward Should their adventure end
with this triumph. the nations editors
agree. they still would have scored
one of the greatest exploits OF the
air. 8
The flight OF the stOut-hearted
American Army licutensnts across the
Pacifc in weather that put the at
tendant destroyers on their mettle
vas one Of the greatest feats that
aviation has yet recorded in the
opinion of the New York Times. The
fact that their course took them
from an island belonging to Alaska.
American territory. across the Pacific
Ocean TO a Japanese island. and over
a part of the world of which most of
us know next to nothing" the Pitts
burgh Sun declares adds greatly to
the thrill of the adventure, for "the
hazards OF this part OF their journey
are great. and the interest which is
felt in the story is multiplied by the
strangeness of the lands which are
the stopping places" To think OF
ones self, reflects the Miami News
Metropolis, flying through uncharted
space. at the mercy of capricious
storms, S1S miles through snow
storms that whipped about and blind
ed. gives one some idea of what had
20 be overcome but. lit is not easy
TO picture the experiences in the hu
man mind" Heavy air fogs prevailed
and storms and ice threatened If
forced landing We're necessary" con-
tinues the Springfield News which
contends these courageous American
pilots have finished the hardest part
OF an exceptionally hard flight" ana
barring unforeseen accidents they
should be able to forge ahead now
and complete their historic trip.
1T was an achievement apparent
ly more hazardous than spectacular"
according to the New York Herald
Tribune, which mentions the prog
ress was slow, and on the maps the
individual jumps do not look particu
larly long" but unhappiiy the maps
and generally abominable combina-
tion of vicious weather against which
the flyers had to contend" The Allan
ia Journal points out: The tolls and
perils of weather encountered by the
fiiers were an utmost test of their
mettle. Hardihood and skill. az well
as sheer courage. they manifested in
full measure. II those immense and
stormful wastes of ocean can be COM
passed. as they have been by the
American aviators, there is no region
of the airplane world which men can
not essay with confidence" Although
| they few across the Pacific at the
| narrowest place. the Chicago Jour
ent stage of afrplane development
| they are taking more risk than IL
| they had tried tol fly directly from
| San Francisco to Toxic. for in the
| latter case there would have been no
risk at ALL" because the upshot
| been a thing called death" In any
event the New York Sun suggests,
they have carried their machines
| safely through terrific storms, bitter
cold and binding fog, with but one
| unfortunate occurrence-the crash of
4
mar a successful trip" and. "the to-
| tai results in breaking ground over
5000 miles Of unf1own territory are
| very impressive"
The Boston Transcript calls atten-
| tion to the fact that "the crossing of
| the Pacific at this time and in this
| way leaves transoceanic honors even
| ly distributed within the United
States, for the American Navy was
| first to f1y the Atlantic and now the
| Army gains like position in the
Pacific" Furthermore, lit is a source
| of particular satisfaction and pride
| that both flights were accomplishe ed
with airplanes and engines of purely
American origin. deriving from no
| foreign product" The milwaukee,
| Journal observes "they have struck
| out an air route which some day may
be the path of regular service be-
! tween America and Asia and along
which swift planes and aerial liners
| will pass each other by day and by
| night--when mans conquest of the
| air is complete" The Newark News
agrees they have accomplished what
| they set out to do on the first divis-
ion Of. the fiiEht throwing . new kind
Of. bridge from the oceident to- the