Evening star., 1931-12-29
'Chute Leap Champ Here
BY GRETCHEN SMITH.

THREE months ago a slender,
blue-eyed young woman threw
herself from out of an airplane
speeding $4,000 feet above the
military airport near Bucharest
Runania. and, landing safely on the
Ground 20 minutes later broke the
worlds record for woman parachute
jumpers.
Passing through Washington en-
route to Miami Fla, where she will
participate in the All-American Air
RACES, to be held next month, Mile
Smaranda BraeScu, the only woman
parachute jumper in Rumania, de-
scribed her impressions of her record
lump. which won for her the Golden
Cross" the highest aviation decoration
awarded by her government.
II did not feel i'll the least bit afraid"
she said, but that 90 minutes descend
ing seemed like hours, and every few
seconds l would look at my paragraph
to see how much farther 1 had to CO.
l had an unusually large parachute for
the Jump, and it kept tugging at my
belt as 1 tossed in the air, sometimes
with such force that thought my ribs
would break"
Learned to Leap in Berlin.
Looking at Mile. Braescu slight fig
ure. one wonders how the slender waiSS
was able to Withstand the 20 minutes
rubbing and pulling of the heavy para
chute belt.
Il did not feel the least bit Ill" she
continued, until when about 5000 feet
above the ground, I suddenly hit a
WhirlWind, which twisted me around
and around, dropping me suddenly into
a pocket below. Yes, must admit l
was trife dizzy when 1 finally lanGed,
and very, very tired"
Mile. BraeScu started her career as
parachute jumper in 1928, when she at
tended a school in Berlin, there being
no civilian schools in her own country
at that time
Unable financially to take the entire
course, she mastered the technique of
parachute jumping and returned home,
where she was granted permission to
make jumps from military planes.
Twice Hurt in Accidents.
In the Summer of 1880 Mile. Braescu
had her first mishap, while making a
5,800-foot descent Shortly before
reaching the ground she was caught in
a severe Windstorm, and after being
swung violently against a tree, break
ing her hip bone, she was thrown to the
ground on one side, fracturing her leg
in two places.
A short time after this accident, which
necessitated disqualification for three
months, the courageous young woman
was injured while landing in plane,
sustaining a broken arm and a frac-
tured collar bone.
Despite these unfortunate accidents,
she declares she is not the least bit in
timidated, and her only fear about the
forthcoming meet in which she will
compete with international parachute
jumpers, is that she may not be able
to break the world record.
Hopes to Break Mems Record.
"I have the women's record now"
she smiled, but 1 want to beat the
men If I should win the event in
Florida, I hope to be able to stay in
the United States to take a course at
one of your aviation schools"
So sure are the people of Rumania
of the skill and courage Of their young
that when notice was
sent out by the government stating that
parachute jumpers were invited by the
mayor of Miami to participate in the
meet, collection, in
which school children and boys and
girls contributed their pennies, was
taken and presented to Mile. Braescu to
finance her trip to America.
Entirely feminine in her appearance,
her black hair fastened in a coil at
the back of her neck and her blue
eyes softened by heavy black laSheS,
Mile Braescu tells you that her only
reeal interest is in sports.
She is not particularly interested in