Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-22

14i0ut. NAth A0Ai
edge of the dangers and difficulties
trayersed over 2.400 miles of the Pa
cific Ocean with marvellous accuracy
of direction and thereby demon
strated concrsively the PRACTICABLE
ity Of accurate aerial navigation. his
masterful exploit is worthy of the
greatest praise and has bestowed
much credit on the United States
Army"
The citation for Lieut.. Hegenberger
| is in the same language except that
| he is described as assistant pilot and
| navigator of the plane.
Banquet Is Held.
Gen. SummeraH presented the GER
! tificates. tied with blue and gold rib
bon. and then the airmen were intro
duced to Secretary of the Navy VIII
bur. Gen. John J. Pershing. Edward
p. Warner, Assistant Secretary Of the
| Navy for Aeronautics; Rear Admiral
| William A. Moffett, chief of the Bu-
reau of Aeronautics: Anthony II. G.
| Fokker, designer of their plane, ana
| Charles l.. Lawrence, president OF the
Wright Aeronautical Corporation.
| builders of the engines they used on
the fight, The official reception ended
| here and the airmen were swamped
| with outstretched hands from personal
| friends until they literally tore them
selves away and boarded automobiles
| for the Mayflower Hotel, Although
| the crowd was comparatively small.
| the spectators cheered Justify as the
noted flyers put in appearance.
They arrived just as the last fea.
| ture of the aerial program of entertain
ment was completed
Two hours and a half later they sat
down III the grand ballroom of the
Mayfiower Hotel as honored guests
of testimonial dinner given by the
citizens of Washington under the
auspices of the National Aeronautic |
Association. Commissioner Proctor l..
Dougherty formally welcomed the fly |
ers on behalf of the citizens of the |
District and extended their congratu- |
lations to them for their remarkable |
accomplishment.
Cause of Aviation Aided.
Secretary Wilbur, the second speak. |
er on the program, declared Americans |
can feel justly proud Of the flight be- |
cause it was an American accomplish |
ment from beginning to end. The air. |
men were trained in American schools; |
they are in the service of their coun- |
try and the Nation contributed to |
and skill, he said. The Secretary felt, |
however. that it would not be justice |
to the flyers to overlook the others |
who directly or indirectly played @ |
part In the achievement. Dead hands, |
he said, held them up on the flight |
Rodgers and his fight contributed by |
the experience which the Army airmen |
gained from that attempt to reach |
the islands. while the entire Nation,
by feeling of sympathy and co-opera-
ton. spurred them on. Their pres.
ence here tonight is miracle of sci.
ence," he concluded. land an encour-
agement to future operations of tn. !
Army and Navy"
Gen. Pershing expressed the opinion
that the Maitland Hegenberger flight,
together with the Atlantic air journeys
OF the past few months. go farther
to forward aviation in America than
anything being accomplished in an
equal length of time
You can turn your imagination
loose" he declared, "and find there are
practically no limits to the possibilities
Of aviation"
Navy Appreciates Feat.
Naval aviation, by it's experience in
attempting the Hawaiian flights,
knows what an achievement it is, /
Admiral Moffett said
"Seamen and navigators appreciate
IL more than Others" he declared In
extending the congratulations of naval
aviation to the airmen, Admiral Mof-
fett said: IF John Rodgers were here.
he would offer them as sincerely and
heartily as offer them myself.
Mr.. Dawson, to whom Gen. Sum
neral said In introducing him the
flight was due in every respect. de-
clared the two pilots were selected to
partment believed they were capable
or the task. The fight was not made
possible overnight. he explained, add
Ing that 1t took literally years of
studying" Without the cooperation of
the aircraft industry, Mr.. Dawson
said, the flight would not have been
possible.
Mr.. Warner emphasized the value
or the flight from the standpoint that
the flyers shrunk the distance be.
tween the mainland and the islands.
while William p. MacCracken, jr..
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for
Aeronautics, explained that the flight
has placed deep responsibility on
commercial aviation. But we want
them to feel that they can count on
commercial aviation to back them I'M.
now that they have blazed the trail"
he said.
Patrick is Praised.
A tribute to Gen. Patrick's service |
as chief of the Air Corps was given |
by Gen. Summerall as he introduced |
the air chief, He declared Gen. Pat. |
rick took the helm Of the Air Corps |
when the going was bad, and he |
steered 1t through storm and strife"
His vision, the POSTMASTER said, has |
been the compass by which the Air |
Corps has been steered.
The dearest wish of his heart was |
to have been a passenger, or navi- |
gator. or pilot on the Hawaiian |
flight" he said, 'for he is a pilot, hay |
ing qualified under the highest re-
quirements of the Air Corps Never |
theiess, he was at the controls every |
inch OF the way. 1t was. his ambition |
that the Air Corps should span this |
gap, and 1t is his realization OF the |
dream that comes almost on the eve |
of the end of his distinguished career" |
The flights of the past have placed |
Paris and Honolulu within three and |
one-half days of airplane travel Gen. |
Patrick said. DETERMINATION. prepa- |
ration and navigation accounted for |
the success of the undertaking." he |
said. six years ago Maitland came |
to me and urged it. He repeated his |
request i'm 1924. Hegenberger, i'm |
Hawaii. bored me to death with let |
tiers asking that I let him fiy to the |
mainland. But i knew the time was |
not ripe. When it did come, these |
two men were chosen. They know |
what I think of them without my |
saying So"
Mr. Lawrence gave brief history
of the development of the air-cooled |
engine. The original conception Of |
the principle was his, he said, blu: |