Evening star., 1924-09-11
Efficient Planning II, Advance Held
Greatest Insurance to FLIGHTS Success
Preliminary Preparation
Sin,plifed Actual
Accomplishment
Chain Of Supplies Laid
around World Made
For Assurance

thought has been given by the pub
lie to the tremendous and pft-times
perilous tasks undertaken by the ad-
vance officers. who crossed bleak seas,
frozen forests. torrid jungles or un-
inhabited deserts in their all-im-
portant work of establishing supply
bases at strategic points along the
path marked out for the flyers TO
follow.
1t lmattered not, after these ar
rangements had been completed, at
what place the flyers might be FORCED
down-not far away they would have
had access to new airpIane and en-
gine parts fuel and oil. food or what
ever their needs might have been.
America was taking no chances on
the success of her history-makfng
air expedition.
The story of what went on behind
the scenes in mapping out the course
AMI laying supply bases preparatory
, to the flight is eclipsed in its ro-
nance only by the hop around the
globe itself
Pioneers Blazed Trail.
Cognizant OF the magnitude OF the
project Mai. Gen. Mason NJ. Patrick,
chief of the Army Air Service, more
than a year ago ordered compre-
hensive study made of the proposition
by a specially appointed world night
committee composed OF omcers
experienced in planning, organizing
and conducting long-distance flights
This committee had no precedents to
copy. They were pioneers In their
field, but their ability is testified to
by the success of the fight to date.
The committee follows: Capt. St
Clair STREET., in charge OF route,
maps, organization and liaison; Capt.
n
finance Capt Lorenzo l.. Snow, dlpio-
matte relations: Lieut.. Robert J. Brown,
jr. organization and coordination;
Lieut.. Erik II. Nelson. one of the flyers,
equipment and engineering: Lieut.
Clarence L. Crumerine, equipment,
engineering and advance work, and
Lieut.. Elmer T.. Adler, supply.
This committee divided the pro-
posed path of the flyers into SIX
major divisions and assigned an ad-
vance officer to take charge of each
division. These advance officers were
themselves experienced flyers. who
could be used as substitute pllotS
should the occasion arise. The d.
visions they patrolled range in length
from 5000 to 5000 miles. Lieut..
Clayton l.. Bissell of this city. was
in charge of the lst dlVislon' from
Seattle to the Kurile Islands, Japan.
the End division, through Japan to
Shanghai. Lieut. Malcolm S. Lawton
watched over the 3rd portion, across
China, French Indo-China. Siam.
Burma and part of India to Calcutta
Lieut. Harry A. Halverson supervised
the 4th section. across India, Persia,
Syria and Turkey to near Constantl-
nople.
Maj. Carlyle II. Wash, air attache
OF Do ri hul oh a n
sion, across Europe to London. Lieut..
Crumerine. member of the flight COM
mittee, directed the work of the last
division from London. across Scot
land the Farce Islands, Iceland.
Greenland and back home" After
the flight started it was found that
the last division was too extensive
for, one man to handle, so Lieut.. LIE
Claire d. Schultze was giver special
detail in charge of all arrangements
at the farthest north stop, the re-
mote town OF Angmagsalik.
All Modes OF Travel.
In the words of Lieut.. Brown of
the flight committee, these officers
circled the globe ION horseback or
afoot, by water rail or caravan. by
dogsled and by airplane." Their duty
was to make the path of the flyers
as easy as possible. Each officer was
charged with the duty also of facili-
tating the passage of the flyers
through his long expanse Of territory
and to clear up afterward all business
in connection with the flight Ameri
can diplomatic officials in all the 25
countries over which the flyers pass
ed co-operated fully and American
business men or their representatives
abroad aided materially in the ar
rangements.
BY means of this whoIe-hearted as
sistance which the advance officers
met with. a definite schedule for the
shipment of supplies was worked out.
so that the accessories to be planted
at various bases would not be shipped
too soon nor too late. At each stop
a local representative was appointed
to look after the business of the flight
in the absence of the advance officers.
that is, these representatives were
arranged for where possible, but in
a number of the inaccessible and un-
inhabited lands through which the
course passed the advance officer had
to make all arrangements himself as
best he could.
Lieut.. Crumerine, in charge of the
North Atlantic hop arrangements had
many thrilling experiences in carry
ing out his duties. He made a path
finding trip through the far North in
the Summer and Fall of 1923, spend
ing several weeks searching the
coasts of Greenland for adequate
harbor and anchorage facilities for
the planes.
He tabulated a list of all Eskimo set
Elements along the line Of the flight,
with detailed information to guide the
flyers in seeking food and assistance if
they should be forced down in that cold
region. During this trip he faced starva-
ton and death at one time when he
| became lost in the frozen wilds while
| travelling by dog sled over the west
/ coast of Greenland, and later the ship
upon which he set out narrowly escaped
ramming a cliff concealed in fog off
the Farce Islands.
Thankless Job.
Capt. Volandt had probably the most
| thankless job of the world flight COM
mittee AS finance officer and agent Of
| ficer he had to keep all the books and
settle all accounts, in addition to pre-
pairing all shipping instructions for sup
plies and fuel. He arranged for ship
ments in American vessels to virtually
all points over the world, and in re-
mote areas where no trade or passenger
| vessels operate normally secured the as
sistance of Navy destroyers and vessels
of the United States Coast Guard.
| Capt. STREET., as route officer, went
over the whole route, first on paper
| and finally in person. In mapping out
the course he examined every avail
able map and publication bearing on
| the foreign lands to be crossed. In
| this way he compiled a guide book
| to the airway around the world,
which proved of inestimable value to
the flyers In fact. it is said that the
| flyers at times "f1abbergasted" the ad-
| vance officers along the route with