The Washington times., 1928-02-03
LiIldy's Own Story
WE

. + 81
door I was dragged the rest OF the
part.
For nearly hair an hour / was
unable to touch the ground. dur
ing which time / was ardently car
ried around in what seemed to b
g very small area, and in every
position It IS possible to be In
Every one had the best OF inten
tons but no one seemed to know
just what they were.
Tho Ruso
The French military fliers very
resourcefully took the situation Il
hand. a number Of them mingled
with the crowd; then, 1T given
signal, they placed my helmet %
an American correspondent and
cried Here Is LindberGh. Thai
helmet on an American was suffi
Gent evidence. The correspondent
Immediately became the center 81
attraction, ana while he was be,
ing taken professionally to the re.
ception committee via = rather deyi.
Gus route. I managed to get inside
one Of the hangers.
MeanWlails second group q
soldiers and police had surrounded
the plane and soon placed il out
Of danger n another hangar.
The French ability To handle An
unusual situation with speed ana
capability was remarkably demon
gtrated that night at lie Bourget.
Ambassador HerficIE extended me
an invitation TO remain ct his en1-
bassy while ] was III Paris, which
4 gladly accepted. But grateful as
I was at the time, IT did not take
me long to realize that b kind
Providence had placed me in Am.
bassad0r Herrick,s hands. The en-
suing days found me In situations
that had certainly never expected
Ito be In and lii which relied.
on Ambassadors Herrickss syInpa-
fhetic aid.
These situations were brought,
about BY the ,whOIe-h hearted well
come to me an American hat
touched me beyond any point that
any words can express.
] left Era ce with q debt Of grail
fude which, though cannot repay
il, / shall always remember. e
the French people had been acclaim
ing their own gallant airnnen, Nun.
gesser and Coli, who were lost only
after feariessIy departing ii the
face OF conditions ilasurn1ountahly
greater than those that confronted
me. their enthusiastic welcome and
gracicusness could not have been
greater.
II Belgium - wen. I was re-
ceived with 3 warmth which re-
Elected more than simply q passing
curiosity in transatlantic flight,
but which WIS rather demonstra-
ton BY the people Ok their interest
In 3 new means Of transportation
which eventually would bring stiiI
closer together the New World and
the Old. Their welcome, too, will
be d cherished memory for all time.
In England. experienced one
final unfOrgettable demonstFat ton
Of friendship for an American.
That spontaneous wonderful recep.
ton during my brief visit seemed
typical Of what 4 had always heard
of the good spcrtsnnanship cE the
English.
NY words to All those friends ii
Europe are inadequate. but my
feelings Of appreciation are bound
less.
CONCLUSION
when was contemplating the
flight 10 Paris / looked forward
to making short tour Of Europe
with especial regard 70 the various
airports ana aeronautical actiyI
ties.
After ! arrived, however, the
necessity Of returning to America
In the near future became appar-
ent and, after consultation with
Ambassador Houghton, who In
formed me that President Coolidge
was sending the cruiser Memphis
to Cherbourg for my return Jour
ney TO America, flew the Spirit
Of St Louis TO Gosp0rt earIy one
morning. There 1t was disnnantIed
and Grated. through the courtesy
Iof the Royal Air Force, which also
placed q Woodcock pursuit plane
At my disposal.
returned to London In the Wool
cock and q few days later flew to
Paris in another r. A. f. machine
OF the same type.
] remained overnight in Paris; ard
early the next morning NeW b
French Breguet to Cherbourg, where
the cruiser Memphis was waiting.
Admiral Burrage met me at the
dock, and after going aboard the
Memphis I became acquainted with
Captain Lackey and the officers of
the ship. During the trip across
they extended every courtesy and
did everything within their power
to make the voyage a pleasant one.
A description of my Welct le back
to the United States would. In itself
be sufficient to fill 4 larger volume
than this. am not an author by
profession, and my pen could never
express the gratitude which sesl
toward the American people.
The voyage up the Potomac and 70
the Government grounds in wash.
ington; up the Hudson River and
along Broadway; over the Mississippi
ana to st. Louis-to do justice to
these occasions would require q Tar
greater writer than myself.
washington, New York ana finally
st. Louis and home. Each OF these
cities has left me with an Impression
that shall never forget, and a debt
Of gratitude which can never repay.
THE END