Evening star., 1927-05-23
A Great Young American.


Proud as they were on Saturday of
the thrilling achievement of Charles
LindberGh in flying across the At
lantlc alone without stop in record
time. the American people are even
more proud today of the manner in
which he is comporting himself in
Paris. His modesty, his general
bearing. his simple. unaffected mar
rative of his adventure, all serve to
eXalt him in the esteem of his fellow
countrymen, as they have in the es-
TEEN of the French people.
Ltndbergh's arrival in France was
characteristic. He reached Paris
without change of clothing and was
embarrassed at the attentions paid
to him. Hauled from the cockpit of
his plane as soon as it had come to
a halt, he was dazed by the clamors
or the crowd. His only coherent
thought was for the safety of his
beloved airship, upon which atten-
tions of souvenir hunters were i'm
mediately centered. But he was
hustled away to a refuge at the
American embassy, where he slept,
in borrowed garments. for ten and a
half hours, as though he had just
turned in from one of his regular air.
mail flights.
It was a severe test that Lindbergh
Hul1 hn
of clamorous admirers. He had just
done a magnificent thing, and he was
in peril of saying or doing the wrong
thing, of being perhaps boastful Of
his achievement, Of stressing the vic
tory of America in epochal flying.
But he met the test easily and sue
cessfully. His first move after tele-
phoning to his own mother in this
country was to go to the mother of
Capt. Nungesser, the hero of France,
of whose fate iE essaying the same
fight there is still a question. Lind
bergh had met Nungesser in this
country. He admired him greatly,
and his visit to the sorrowing woman
was a simple act of sincere courtesy
and sympathy that revealed the high
quality of the young American.
Nothing was so certain TO win the
hearts of the people of France as this
graceful tribute to motherhood
Confronted by a crowd of journal
lists eager to hear the story of his
fight, Lindbergh bore himself ad-
mirably. He told his tale effectively,
without a trace Of yainglory. He
had done what he set out to do, and
his account of the exploit was a
model Of simplicity and yet with suf-
ficient specification to satisfy the
most curious. The task had been a
hazardous one, the achievement of
it q satisfaction. He saw himself no
hero, but just flyer who was pro-
noting the science of aviation. He
attributed much Of his success to
good fortune, but more to the quail
ties OF mis- machine and to the trust
worthiness of his guiding instru-
ments.
It is no wonder that Ambassador
Herrick wakes enthusiastic in his
praise of this young American, say
ing, in his message to President
Coolidge, eff we had deliberately
sought type to represent the youth,
intrepid, adventurous, Of America and
the immortal bravery of Nungesser
and Coli, we could not have Jared
as well as in this boy of divine, in
genuous and simple courage"
Monarchs are sending their con-
gratulations and expressions of praise
to Lindhergh. The highest officials of
France and representatives of foreign
governments are showering their at
tentionS upon him. The crowds are
cheering him. The flag of his native
land is flying everywhere in his honor.
He smiles, shyly. and receives these
tributes as being paid to his country
rather than TO himself personally. He
is in fact an envoy of good will, and
so today America feels proud of him
as its unofficial but efficient repre-
sentative. an American lad who has
done a wonderful thing modestly and
who takes his honors with the SIM
plicity that is, after all, the spirit of
true greatness.
A great deal of preliminary advice