The Washington times., 1930-09-09
WASHINGTON
PAYS THEM
TRIBUTE
Curtis Lauds Pair at Dinner
Last Night Given by Board
of Trade in Willard Hotel

The final tribute of the Capital
of the United States to Capt.
Dieudonne Coste and his flying
companion, Lieut.. Maurice Bel
lonte, was paid early today when
the famous pair went to the
Naval Air Station to take off
70. New York.
The departure was the climax
of what is probably the most
crowded two days the .Frenchmen
have ever spent. They were feted
and acclaimed as few guests OF
Washington have been with the
possible exception Of Col. Charles
A. Lindbergh.
They expected to reach their
destination within two and one
half hours and will circle Balti-
more and Philadelphia en- route.
To Drop Wreath
At Philadelphia they will soar
over the airport and drop a huge
bouquet of pink dahlias as 0
tribute to former Major John Q.
Donaldson, war ace. Killed there
in a crash last week.
A message, written, signed and
sealed in an envelope by Capt.
Dieudonne Coste, chief pilot. was
wired to the stems of the flowers.
It's text was not divu1ged.
Coste personally inspected his
history-making Question Mark be-
fore the take-off, and became i'm
patient when the engine failed to
start promptly because OF the
chilly air.
The French airplane TAXED
about so feet before it let the
ground. Three Army airplaeS,
which will escort the Frecnhmen
to Baltimore, left the field a few
minutes before.
Dinner Last Fete
The last formal affair in honor
of the fliers was last night at the
Willard Hotel, when CoSte and
Bellonte we're guests of honor at q
banquet given by the Washington
Board of Trade. Congratulations
were heaped upon them by list
of speakers headed by Vice PreSi-
dent Charles Curtis. The tributes
we're modestly received by the
fliers, who quietly left the banquet
shortly after 10 o'clock that they
might get a good nights rest in
preparation for their journey to-
day.
More than 1000 members of the
official, residential and diplomatic
circles of Washington attended
the banquet and cheered them
selves hoarse for the intrepid
Frenchmen. The affair came as
climax to day which had in
cluded a reception of the flierS
at the White House by President
Hoover, visits to the various Gov
ernment departments and to the
Zoo and a pilgrimage to Arlington
National Cemetery, where q
wreath was laid on the Tomb of
the Unknown Soldier.
Other addresses were made by
Major Gen. Herbert B. Crosby,
of the District Board of Commis.
Sioners, and Col. Edward v. Rick
enbacker, Americas "Ace of Aces"
during the World War.
The speeches were translated
for the benefit of Coste and Bel
lonte by Prof. Rene Samson, and
I through the same interpreter
Coste made a brief but hearty re-
sponse, recalling the friendship
which has existed between the
United States and France since
the Revolutionary War and the
work of Mai. L'Enfant in plan
ming Washington.
The addresses of the various
speakers were broadcast over an
international hook-up, as had been
the exercises at the White House
at noon when the fliers were
guests of the President. A cable
gram from the British Broadcast
ing Corporation declared that the
program at the White House was
received clearly in Europe. A
group of French stations as well
as the British chain, were on the
hn0b-11r