Evening star., 1927-05-29
BELC|ANS SHOWER
L|NDBERGH WITH
HIGHEST HONORS
King Albert Pins Insignia of
Knight of Order of
Leopold on Flyer.
GOLD MEDAL AWARDED
BY ROYAL AERO CLUB
Received at Palace, Meets Notables
and Speaks From Balcony.
Off for London Today.
By the Associated Press.


come awaited Capt. Charles Lind.
sells today. Within two hours after he
brought the Spirit of st. Louis" down
upon Belgian soil, King Albert had
received him at the palace, showered
congratulations on him for his con-
quest of the Atlantic and pinned on
his coat the insignia of knight of the
Order of Leopold"
A little later in the afternoon he
was presented with the highly coveted
honor that only five other airmen, all
Belgian citizens, have received. These
are Willy Coppens. Lieut.. Thierry.
Maurice Medaets, Jan Olieslager and
Ernest De Muyter. The Belgians say
that "Lindbergh has become a sixth
member of this little family and thus
is a sort of adopted son of Belgium"
Today the Belgians showed they
love heroic prowess and as the best
proof of this, they emphasize the fact
that Capt. Lindbergh is the only for.
eigner thus far admitted to the family
Of Belgian heroes of the air.
The American airman was escorted
all the way from Paris by f1otilla of
French airplanes and was met at the
border by two squadrons of Belgian
army planes.
Cheered by Vast Throng.
Lindbergh landed through the Gen.
ter of the wide circle Of escorting
planes, coming to the earth as gently
as a bird alighting. Thousands on
thousands of Belgians and others had
watched his silver plane circling the
city. and he was cheered by the vast
throng as he came down. James c.
Dunn. the American charge d'affaires,
and Henri Jaspar, the Belgian pre-.
hours he had not only been received
by the King and the royal family, but
had shaken hands with most Of the
members of the cabinet and several
Ambassadors.
Everywhere he went through the
streets the populace of Brussels hailed
his heartily. He met the members of
the American colony at his country's
embassy and visited the tomb Of the
Unknown Soldier and the monument
to the Belgian airmen who had died
in battle. At both places he deposited
wreaths.
SPEAKS FROM DdlCOUys
Tonight he was the guest of honor
a. dinner given by the American
Club. In the course of the afternoon
the flyer made his first speech from a
balcony, although he had been called
out upon many of them by the Euro.
pean crowds.
"A week ago this very moment, ne
said, II was over the Atlantic. There
were two desires in my mind-f1rst, 20
reach LIE Bourget; the second. to visit
Brussels I landed at LIE Bourget. and
now I am in Brussels. Both OF my
wishes have come through.
Unfortunately, ! cannot remain
long with you, but I shall never for
get Belgium and France. and some
day shall return"
The pilot of the Spirit of st. Louis,
planning gracefully down on Evere
Hill, near Brussels, this afternoon,
must have found the number of spec
tators awaiting him seemingly small
in proportion to the frantically en-
thusiastic Parisians, who surged on
lie Bourget Field a week ago tonight.
It required music and the inspiring
spectacle of his silver bird gliding
gently over the earth to stir the
Belgians.
Evere Hill was not like LIE Bourget,
destined to end an epochal voyage in
which everything had been dared, and
so there was no suspense, no question
among the spectators whether the
ship and it's pilot ever would come
into port.
Given Wonderful Welcome.
Yet the Belgians gave him a won
derful welcome. Many tried to reach
him, although the police succeeded in
holding them back, and couple of
hours after he had landed he emerged
from a 15.minute talk with King AL
bert radiant with pleasure at the well
come that had been his.
1t was a trying day for the people
of Brussels, Intermittent rain keeping
them in doubt as to whether it would
be possible to stand in the open on
Evere Field to await the coming of
the American aviator, and also wheth-
err he would come. Doubt prevailed
UP to the last minute almost. But
the sun came out just as the last of
the Belgian flying escort disappeared
in the distance to meet the American
youth at the frontier.
A cloud again obscured the sun after
the escort had disappeared, but it
showed once more in all it's glory,
when, finally, after the first of the
planes of escort had returned, the
Spirit Of st. Louis appeared flashing
| out of the clouds into the glare with
impressive speed. 1t circled the air.
drome with several steel-gray Belgian
planes around it.
Lindbergh. in no hurry to come to
earth, continued to circle over the air
| drome, making his turns with remark.
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