The Washington times., 1924-04-03
remote NIPPON
TOWN AWAITS
j. 5. FL|ERs
Preparations Made at MInato
for Landing Of Airmen
Some Time m May.
. BY DUKE NJ. PARRY.
international News servI6e.

the oceans big game is prepar-
Ing for the arrival OF the American
rolnd-the-wOrId fliers. an event as I
yet unequalled In the history Of that
place. When four American army /
officers and four enlisted men, In
four American airplanes, arrive In
this little japanese village some time 1
In May, the event will mark the first /
ceremonial welcome that MinatO has /
ever given to representatives Of a /
foreign country. The American /
round the.world air flight may have |
attracted attention throughout the I
Omitted States and in Europe; GER
Itainly It has attracted In no place /
any more awed interest than In tnis /
most provincial Japanese seacoast l
town, the first hopping off place Of
The American aviatOrs on the island /
OF Japan proper.
i t'When we visited Minato re.
Gently" said Lieut.. Clifford C.. Mutt, |
Of the Aremican army In the Philip /
IpiDes, detailed to make arrangements [
for the landing OF the American air
men In Japan, "the Governor OF the |
province and the town authorities
were most cordial to US. The peo-
pie with whom we talked of the com. /
ing trip of the American aviation |
party discussed 1t as an event about |
which they would tell their children, |,
for, they said. It was the first time
that even a seni-official foreign |
party had paid their, village notice. |
1t Is safe to say that the American |
lairmen will give the village of Mi |
nat0- the greatest thrill that II will |
Experience for many months
All Air Plans Laid. i
Cooperating with Lieutenant
Mutt In his arrangement work in
Japan are the American Embassy
staff in Tokyo, including. the Amer.
lean military attache, Maj. p. r.
Faymonville, Major General Yasu-
nitsu, head of the japanese air
forces, Colonel Shioden, of the army,
and Commander Hara, Of the navy,
the latter three having given the
American lieutenant a banquet
shortly after his arrival. and others
in the Japanese army and navy who
are necessary in the arranging Of
supplies and landing places for the
American visitors. During the
month of March Lieutenant Mutt
visited Minato. the place where the
American aviators will land In
Japan proper, Kasumigaura, a field
near Tokyo, and fields near Osaka
and Kagoshfma. He reported that
at all of these places he found sat-
isfactory facilities for receiving the
American planes.
Many matters were to be dis.
cussed after the arrival OF Lieu
tenant Mutt in Tokyo, among these
being the condition of the harbors
in such places as Mirato, the like.
lihood Of serious storms hitting the
4 n. - NAN NJ he
arrival Of the American aviators,
whether the route from Japan to
China would go through Korea, or
directly across from Japan to China.
All of these matters have been sue
cessfully settled now, and 1t only
remains for the American and Jap
anese departments managing the
flight to approve, and Japan's share
In aiding America in the great
flight viii have been accomplished.
Interesting Stops.
The American aviators will find
, an interesting crowd of spectators
, in at least one place which they
will make on the round'the.worid
trip. Leaving Seattle. they VIII go
to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, then to
Attu Island, which Is the last OF
:.
group. From there they will pro-
coed to Parumushiru, where they
, will find a number Of semi-abori-
. CINE types. Here, as we'll as In
Minato, Japan, where the aviators
q will visit later, there will be ex-
! hibited the greatest of interest in
these wonderful birdmen from the
Great White Mans Country, but
the degree of intelligence exhibited
, will not be so great as viii be that
, at the Japanese village. From
. Paramushiru the flight will pro-
coed to the village Of Bettubu, in
the South Kuriles, and from that
place to Japan proper. japanese
destroyers, carrying all necessary
provisions, will meet the American
: aviators for the first welcome OF
: Japan, at the Japanese island pos
: session. Lieutenant Mutt the
American army man making ar
: rangements in Japan, win find It
impossible to get to this place be-
cause of the danger Of not getting
back tG Japan in time to meet the
aviators here, so this detail Of the
arrangements viii have to be left
solely to the Japanese.
To Cross Japan.
i From Minato the flight will pro-
! coed across Japan proper to Kasu'
l migaura, outside of Tokyo, to
) Osaka, then to Kagoshima and
al from there across to. China. Ar.
: rangements for entertaining this
) aviators during the brief period Of
J. their stay in Tokyo have not been
, made vet. due to the ;desire Of the
5 Japanese not to embarrass the
{ American visitors, provided their
!. time for the flight, across Japan
will permit of no entertaining. i
= Lieutenant Mutt, In discussing
! possible obstacles to the flight
E across Japan, said recently: Re.
{ ports of dangerous air pockets and
!. other hindrarlces to successful avi.i
r alton in japan are no different
i from similar reports that we have
E had in the United States. I have
: heard Of nothing material which
!, would give any proof OF danger
) from this cause to the American
4 7 round-the-world air flight. AS to
the possibility of storms off the
1 coast Of Japan, at Minato. we have
s made all preparations to beach the
planes If any emergency arises.
, At the time Of the year the planes
2 will be arriving at Minato, approxi.
n1ately May /, storms are not fire.
4 quent at Minato, so we have high
! hopes that this stopping place will