Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-31
AIR RACE DECISION
UP TOPRES|DENT
Fast Ship to Take Lieut.. VIII
liams to Italy Rests Upon
His Word.

he NucSllOii VI HASlIlCI lLltul. III
ford J. Williams, jr.. attached to the
Bureau of Aeronautics, and his pri-
vately financed and constructed racing
plane will participate in the Schneider
international seaplane trophy race, to
be held at Venice, Italy. Is days
hence, rests squarely with President
Coolidge.
Press dispatches from Rapid City.
S. Oak, yesterday afternoon stated
the Executive is not in favor Of the
Navy placing fast cruiser at the
disposal of the naval aviator and his
plane for rush trip to Italy. as. in
Mr.. Coolidge's opinion, the trans
atlantic service is entirely adequate.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Ed
ward p. Warner, however, said today
that the only available commercial
liner would dock at Cherbourg Sep
TENDER 16 and that il Lieut.. Will
iiams' plane were aboard it could not
reach Venice before4he 23d. two days
before the race, negligible margin.
In his opinion, merchant vessel
transport of the pilot and plane is
out of the question, Mr.. Warner said.
DeClSiOU Duc OOOH.
The acting secretary, however. was
not in receipt of any official state
ment from the Summer White House
as to what the Presidents views on
naval vessel being assigned for the
special trip were, and pending the ar
rival of such advices he was unable
to state what steps the Navy could
take to assist it's noted airman in de-
Tending the coveted Schneider Trophy
against six planes from England and
Italy. Mr.. Warner added, however,
that the department probably would
make an announcement in two
days" 49,
when friends Of Lieut.. Williams,
who now Is at Port Washington, N. Y.
Navy Department for the use of
cruiser to take the speed pilot to
Italy, the then acting secretary, T.
Douglas Robinson, is understood to
have stated that the request would
be granted provided that no merchant
vessel could serve the purpose and
that the plane demonstrated 1t had
chance to win the race.
They were told by the Navy that
the best way for the plane to demon
strate its ability would be to establish
a new worlds record for seaplanes
over q three-kilometer course. The
present record Is 258 miles per hour,
and actually is held by Italy, although
the United States receives the credit
for it, as it was made in this country
last November.
Since that time Lieut.. Williams has
made four test flights to feel out the
of the controls and the
engine Yesterday he wired Mr.. War
ner that 1.-The ship is rugged, free
from vibration and the controls func.
ton smoothly and decisively." Bad
weather coupled with the appearance
of the inevitable bugs" that crop up
in all new aircraft and engines. have
delayed Lieut.. Williams speed trial for
a month. Had he been able to fly &C.
cording to the schedule he mapped
out, the powerful racer would have
made it's maiden aerial voyage Au-
gust 1.
All Up to President.
II the Presidents views regarding
the fast cruiser" were correctly set
that the Executive was not in posses
sion of information regarding the
availability of commercial transporta-
tiQn. His opinion on the matter will
be followed by the Navy Department,
it is certain, and the case therefore
will be entirely up to him now.
An opportunity for Lieut.. Williams
and his racing expedition to get to
Italy with ample time to conduct test
work was foregone yesterday when
the Italian steam Martha Wash
ington sailed for Trieste. Prior to
his departure for Italy two weeks ago.
Comdr. Silvio Scaroni, Italian air at.
tache, voluntarily and with the Inc
terest of American aviation in mind,
space on the vessel from the
italian company. This space would
have permitted the racer to have been
placed aboard intact and opportunity
also was guaranteed the mechanics to
turn up" the engine and check the
plane thoroughly en- route to the other
side
The Martha Washington is due
to land at Trieste September 10, and
Comdr. Scaroni had promised that the
plane would be transported the same
day by special train to its hangar at
Venice. This would have given Lieut..
Williams more than week in which
to make test flights and familiarize
himself with the course.
The Navy is interested in the VIII
liams racing project to the extent
of about $4,000. This amount repre-
sents the money it paid out for the
design and construction of the Pack
ard TX" engine Of "a cylinders and
1 ,230 horsepower, used in the plane
and a similar engine, supercharged for
sea-leVel flight and promising more
as reserve power plant.
These engines are "lent" to the Mer-
curry Flying Corporation. builders of
the plane, in exchange for certain val
liable technical information on the
performance of these mighty power
plants in fight.
Plane Stsasys Possibilities.
Therefore, it was emphasized at the
department today, If for no other rea.
son, the Bureau Of Aeronautics is de,
sirous of seeing the Williams racing
plane compete against six new Eng.
lish and Italian planes, all Of them
built with government money and IA
cilities..
By employing Combination of cir.
the National Aeronau.
tic Association, under whose auspices
the racing pilot will fly in the Schnei.
der race, feels that Lieut.. Williams
will be on the starting line at Venice,
Porter Adams, president of the organi-
cation, said today. Mr.. Adams said
the Williams plane has shown great
possibilities In its present test flights
and that the association is SO DESTROYS
of having 1t fly the American flag in
the race that it will leave no Ut me
to have it present.
US. LOSES PLEA IN CASE