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

Continued from First Page)
English and Belgian blood. He is 81
and has been an athlete all his life.
In Norway he had been a champion
boxer and in turn held championships
for the lightweight. welterweight,
middleweight and heavyweight
classes"
Offers Aid to Brix.
Comdr. Byrd has been feted and
decorated since he landed in France,
but nothing that he has done thus far
has so deeply impressed the French
public with his character and ability
as his conference with Lieut.. l.. L.
BriX who will be navigator on the
flight from Paris to New York, which
Maurice Drouhin hopes to start with
in Is days.
In this conference, the commando
demonstrated the valuable nature of
his flight by the, advice it enabled him
to give the French flyers. He urged
them to make every possible use of
him. He was obliged to return to
New York next week, he said, but
suggested that Lieut.. Brix cable him
for anything he wanted right up to
the time of his departure. He ended
the conference by saying:
Il shall sincerely hope to be the
first one to congratulate you when
you land at New York.
Advocates Flying Low.
Every possible point was gone over
during the conference, even the ad
visibility of choosing the Southern
route by way Of the azores. One thing
on which Comdr. Byrd insisted, says
L'Auto, was the advantage of flying
low.
AT a low altitude" he told his
caller, you will find the most propi-
tious atmospheric conditions"
The last affair on the extended pro-
gram that kept Comdr. Byrd and his
three companions busy through We'd
nesday was a ball given in their honor
by the International League of Avia-
tors. AT this function the commander
wore service ribbon on which was at.
tached the officers rosette of the
Legion of Honor. The medal Of the
International League of Aviators was
presented to him before the ball began
1000 Guests at Ball.
There were 1000 guests at the ball
They gave Byrd and his colleagues and
the New York-to-Germany flyers,
Chamberlin and Levine. an enthusiasts.
tic reception. It was after midnight
before the Americans could get away.
Sadi Lecointe, the noted French
airman, commenting on the gift of
Charles A. Levine of 180, 900 francs for
an aviators' clubhouse at LIE Bourget
airdrome, said:
These Americans are really the
types chic Clifford Harmon pro-
vides the aviators of the world with
a clubhouse in the Bots de Boulogne;
Lindbergh gives his 10000 francs
gift to the families of aviators; then
Americans in Paris and the United
States raise 100000 francs for the
Nungesser and Coli families, and
now. M. Levine is going to provide
clubhouse at lie Bourget for the
men who arrive and leave there every
day in regular commercial flights to
all parts of Europe. Yes. Americans
are real fellows"
Silent ON Wilbur's Plan.
When Comdr. Byrd's attention was
called today to a dispatch from New
York saying that Secretary Wilbur
opposed, for the time being, plans
for a South Polar flight, he asked to
be excused from making any COM
ment.
The French press, commenting on
the dispatch. takes the viewpoint
that the reported opposition of the
Secretary of the Navy means aban-
donment of the fight, the Secretary
being Comdr. Byrds superior officer.
Secretary Wilbur said last Satur-
lay he considered that a flight around
the Equator would be of more value
than Comdr Byrd's proposed South
Pole AiQhf Tho oh