Evening star., 1925-10-11
HIGH WINDS DELAY
PULITZER AIR RACE
Morale and Patience at Mine
ola at Crisis as Result
of Postponement.
BY FREDERICK X. NEELY.

mitchell FIELD. Mineola, Long
Island. October 10.-The patience of
aeronautiCal America. in attendance
here for the 1925 national air meet,
was al a crisis tonight. The uniNersa
unrest was brought about by the post
ponement today of the Pulitzer event
for high speed honorS of the world.
High winds of chilling temperature
were the cause. while everyone was
willing TO Concede this was legitimate,
nevertheless. all programs and plans
of the visitors were shot to pieces
with the announcement that the Pu-
litter race would he flown Monday and
the big bombing plane contest Tues
day. All visiting pilots and planes
had planned to take the air tomorrow
for their respective stations and late
tonight a good many had decided to
return to their homes without seeing
the climax of the meet.
While the winds were not so terrific
that planes dared not so aloft. they
were of such a degree of intensity that
had the little racing planes taken the
air it would have been battle
against the elements and not against
the competitor. Granting all en-
trants would finish the race, il was
conceded that there would be no sur
priSing speed record established.
bllOts Are Disappointed.
Neither Lieut.. Al Williams of the
naval air station at AnacoStIa. the
Navy entrant. nor Lieut.. Cyrus Bettis
of Selfridge Field, Mich. the Army
entrant. was able to take his plane
into the air to run tests on the new
high compression motors. Both pilots
are visihly affected hy the run of
events of the past few DAYS and are
placing all their hope on today and
tomorrow to be fair. There are other
entrants in this race. but the planes
are regular service pursuit types. at
least 80 miles slower, and their pilots
are not drawing much attention.
All interest is centered about the
two tiny CurtiSS racers, built espe-
cially for the race at total cost of
nearly 100000. They are supposed
to be matched in speed. although the
rumor is ever prevalent first that Will
liamS' ship is SO revolutions slower
Than Belts racer and vice versa. The
little craft represent the neatest piece
of aeronautiCal engineering ever eX-
hibited. and their fine lines draw the
admiration of everybody. In the air
and viewed from the side, they look
like a torpedo in flight. The Navy
ship is painted blue with gold wings,
and the Army black. with gold wings.
Williams Is FavOrite.
Lieut.. Williams, whom Washing
ton can claim as a local boy" al
though New York City is his birth
place, is the favorite. While on duty
in Washington at the air station
Lieut.. Williams carved his name in
indelible letters in the Navy aero
nautical hail of fame. His expert
ence III handling the racers is the
basis for the odds i'll his favor, al
though "Cy' BettiS is not 10 be
Scoffed at. Bettis for the past two
years has been flying nothing but fast
pursuit planes and in the course of
his daily work goes at least 300 miles
an hour for some minutes.
Flying high-speed planes is com
parable To driving high-speed auto
mobiles. All pilots duly qualified can
take them. in the air and land them
just is almost any motorist could drive
a racing car on a clear track. But
when revolutions of the propeller,
inches on the turns and feet in alti
lude, have a tendency 10 hold back
a. much as 10 miles an hour expert
snce is needed.
Army VS.. Navy.
OF the two principal entrants in the
race. Williams has had more time IN
the racing JoDS lildH bellIS. Htl &
fore the general opinion is that the
ships are eqAal in speed, but it is
man to man-the Army against the
Navy-and there is more at stake
for the winning plane and service
than mere s. 900 for first prize.
This is the Navys first venture in
IL Pulitzer race since 1923, when Will
lianls carried off the honors at ST.
Louis, and victory here and at Bal
timore the oath of this month, when
the Schneider Seaplane cup is COM
peted tor, would raise its prestige,
not only in the United States, but
Throughout the world. II the Army
loses the Pulitzer event it has one
more chance OF recovering when it
puts the "Bettis' racer III the sea
plane contest.
Battle of Wits.
The ground work and preparations
for the race constitute a battle of
wits between Williams and Belts.
While the services in general by now
have refused TO get excited over the
contest, these two pilots know the
value of victory. Consequently each
one is closely watched by the other.
Lieut.. George T.. Cuudihy oil the
AnacoStia Air Station and Lieut.. ii.
j. Norton OF the QuanticO Marines,
who will fly CurtiSS pursuit planes
in the race are showing no concern
whatever over the outcome because
third place means very little TO them
or the service. If fate should strike
down the two new racers, these two
pilots would be given a tremendous
hsht by the TWO army entrants in
similar plaues-Lieut. l.. Ii. Dawson
oil Chanute Field, Rantoul, ILL.,, and
Capt. ii. w. Cook OF Selfridge Field.
Capt. Cook, who injured his eye i'll Il
forced landing Wednesday, Will be
able To fly IN the racek Monday, al
though ii had been Indicated he
would not be a BILE TO recover by to-
day, when the race was TO have been
held.
The race for bombing planes which
originally was postponed from Friday
until Monday. on account OF rain, has
been put back until Tuesday owing to
the change in today,S program. In
this race several Washington Army
and Navy pilots are entered. En-
thusiasm, however, runs very low at
the present.
AS d result of the unfortunate post
ponement, officials here are dubious
on the attendance Monday and Tues
day If the scheduled events are flown
at that time. To date the spectators
have constituted mere handful of
people.
RIIRRER EXP0RT INrREASE