The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-10-17
WHISTLES loot
NOISY GREETING
TO new YORK
Mayor Walker to Extend
Welcome in Ceremony
at City Hall.
PLANS WESTWARD HOP
Ocean Postal Service Will
Start Operation Within
Next z Years.
PLANS WESTWARD HOP

." NEW YORK, Oct. 17.eNew York,
which has paid the tribute of hero
worship to Lindbergh, Byrd and
the other air pioneers, had a chance
to greet the first transatlantic
flight passenger today when Charles
A. Levine came home.
Grover Whalen headed the Gus
Sunary reception committee on the
municipal boat Macon, which took
= Levine off the Leviathan, but only
a few hundred gathered in the mist
at the Battery to see the man who
eluded his wife's grasp and, hatless,
stole aboard the Columbia when
Clarence D. Chamberlin took 1t on
q nonstop flight to Europe.
Levine, who in the four months
since the Columbia started from
Roosevelt Field has toured the capl-
tails of Europe, where he was re-
caived by the pope, Premier Musso-
Iini and other notables, wore MS
laurelS modestly.
Mayor to Extend Greeting
Next year, he said, he hopes TO
10 to Europe and be passenger on
the first successful western flight.
Whistles footed in the bay as Lee
vine was taken aboard the Macon,
where his wife and daughter, Elolse,
Q. greeted him.
There was no parade when the
party landed at the Battery, put
after a short rest uptown, Levine Will
he received at the city hall by Mayor
James j. Walker. The proceedings
will be broadcast from the munich
pal council chamber.
The 37-year-old business man
who built fortune on salvage ma
terials during the war, was en-
thusiastic when he told of his plans
of the future. He said two Euro
mean pilots were on their way to
this country now to cooperate with
him and with American engineers
in building planes for regular trans
Atlantic air mail service.
Carry Crew of Four
The planes will carry four men.
A navigator, two pilots and a radio
operator will manage the seven
motor equipment, which will in
elude all the latest developments
in aviation and wireless.
OF the seven motors, two will be
kept in reserve. The wing spread
of the proposed airship will be 100
feet. while the weight will be gross
10000 pounds. Of this 10000 will
be given to letters.
The cost of the planes will be
half a million dollars each. They
will be American built and will be
in operation in two years, II the
present plans are carried out.
Forty-hour mail service to Europe
Is proposed, and the postage will
be about so cents a letter.
s Minimizes Air Risks
When Mrs. Levine conf1ded to her
husband that she was going to take
up flying, he said:
Everyone should fly. There's no
more risk in an airplane than in an
automobile.
Levine was questioned on report
that he had said he was not a Jew.
He only smiled and asked, How
could I do that?"
81 was born in North Adams
Mass, on st. Patrick's day. And
when I got letter from a woman
In Ireland asking if I we're Irish, I
told her that being born on st. Pat
ticks day was as near as came"
The flier said he had carloads Of
letters that he had not had time to
open.
Fly Back, Late Year
IT would rather have flown back
10 the United States, but the
weather reports prevented that this
year Next year I hope to go to
Europe and fly the famous west
ward route"
The Columbia will be brought
back to this country on the Italian
Liner Roma, Levine said.
II certainly plan to get pilots
license" he continued. Than I can
go where and when please. The
biggest kick got of the whole time
/ was in Europe was when I flew
from LIE Bourget to Croydon"
After the reception at the City
Hall, Levine will go to his home in
the Rockaways, where an evening