Evening star., 1927-05-12

There is no true American living
who does not most sincerely syfnpa.
thize with the friends and coInpatriots
Of Capt. Nungesser and Maj. Coll, the
French aviators who, 1t Is feared,
have been lost in their brave attempt
to fly across the Atlantic. It is not at
all certain that they may not yet turn
UP somewhere in Newfoundland or
even on the surface OF the ocean. The
United States Government is using
every resource to search for them ana
bring them to safety.
In the meantime, French public
sentiment tolerates the atroclouS
charge, as published in several Paris
papers, to the effect that the Amerf.
cans were so jealous Of the preced.
ence Of the Nungesser-Coh French
exploit. that the United States Wealth.
er Bureau deliberately falsified the
weather conditions, and so let the
aviAtors into trap--a murderous
trap--from which they could not hope
to escape.
The charge is so preposterous, say
the officials, that 1t would have been
ignored but for its publication in
more than one French paper. Further.
more, the American Ambassadors
warning that the American aviators
about ready to fly toward Paris should
postpone their fight until Paris sen.
tifnent had cooled, confirms the exist.
ence of antagonistic feeling.
4 y y X
In contradiction of the alterations,
the United States Weather Bureau
states that twice daily the full wealth
er conditions are broadcast, and reach
the Paris weather bureau, and that
the United States naval station at
Arlington holds official acknowledg.
ment OF the French receipt of that
twice.daily service throughout last
week, as usual.
The flight started from Paris at
about 2 o'clock am. washington
time) last Sunday morning, which
night paris time). The last report
had reached Paris, Saturday, three
hours before the start.
France pays nothing for this serv-
Ice, but it is sent as an international
courtesy. France also broadcastS
weather conditions, but as the French
report comes from east to west, while
the weather, as rule, travels east.
ward, the French conditions are of no
special importance on the Atlantic.
Furthermore, the statement now
coming from New York to the
effect that the French expedition
started under the worst weather con.
ditions recorded since aviation be.
gan" Is inaccurate, since the Weather
Bureau records show that, both last
Saturday and Sunday, the chart in.
dicated high barometer at Iceland
and low at points southeastward,
which would indicate q favorable
East wind for the flight, pushing the
plane along westward. Then on Monday
the high" was north Of Labrador,
making a north wind, which would
blow the plane on its course south.
ward along the Newfoundland or
Nova Scotia coast.
y X y
Capt. Nungesser is the most dis.
tinguished ace OF the French fighters
in the World War; he brought down
some IS enemy planes. He Is one of
the bravest aviators In the world, but
practically all his experience has been
over the land without long distance
flights. He knew little about the
perils of the sea, and he undervalued
reasonable measures Of ocean safety,
so that he refused to carry a radio;
ne discarded the landing gear OF
the airplane and threw away his
emergency rationale for the sake Of
tightening the load. so that he could
carry an abundance of gas and oil.
He 10 not a navigator, and therefore
he was dependent on Maj Coli for
steering the course. for Maj. Coll
is q navigator, although not an avia.
tor. Even with the best Of luck
| or good weather both men must stay
| on active duty every minute Of the
s6 or IS hours. Such strain could
not but leave them with faculties
| strained and deficient for meeting ex-
traordinary emergencies. Capt. Nun.
gesser believed that II forced down
upon the water, his airplane would
float indefinitely" but sailors, &C.
| quainted with the might Of ocean
waves in a storm. are not so san.
gnine that any little boat could brave
such power without being smashed.
| u n y
An efficient radio, such as aviators
alHA for broadcastinx n radi,is of EiN